Melody Lynn Little, 24 of West St. Paul, and Jordan John Wieland, 20 of White Bear Lake, were charged* by a warrant complaint on July 24 for their role in a street racing incident that caused a deadly crash, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced.
Both Little and Wieland were charged with two counts of third-degree murder (perpetrating eminently dangerous act and evincing depraved mind) and two counts of criminal vehicular homicide (gross negligence).
According to court documents, on June 14 at approximately 11:20 p.m., Eagan police officers responded to a report of a multi-car crash with injuries near the intersection of Highway 149 and Highway 55. Three vehicles were involved in the crash: a Jeep SUV, a Honda sedan and a Dodge SUV.
After officers arrived, they provided emergency medical care to the two occupants of the Jeep — the driver, 19-year-old Reed Robert Schultz and passenger, 18-year-old Finnian Thomas Cronin. Both victims were unresponsive and transported to a local hospital. Shortly after arrival, Schultz died from his injuries. Cronin continued to receive care at the hospital. He later died July 1.
Officers continued to examine the scene and found the Honda to be unoccupied. Police later learned the driver, Wieland, had left the scene in a vehicle not involved in the crash. He was located at a local hospital. Little was the driver of the Dodge and was not injured in the crash. Both Little and Wieland told police they were in a group of 5-10 vehicles at a “car meet up" in South St. Paul prior to the crash.
Surveillance camera footage obtained from the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows all three vehicles traveling south on Highway 149, towards Highway 55 at a high speed. Minutes later, the Jeep and the Honda lose control and cross the concrete median. The Jeep then collides with a semaphore pole, severing the vehicle in two.
Speedometers in both the Honda and the Dodge were captured on cell phone video moments before the crash. The vehicles were traveling at approximately 110 mph.
County Attorney Keena thanked the Eagan Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol for the investigation of the incident.
A summary of the facts pertaining to this case can be found in the criminal complaint at Criminal Complaint Search.
*Criminal charges are not evidence of guilt. A defendant/suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.