Seth John Nechville, 28 of Kenyon, was charged* with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of second-degree driving while impaired in connection with a fatal collision, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced.
According to the criminal complaint, at approximately 11 a.m. on Sept. 6, officers were dispatched to a head-on crash that occurred on Highway 56 in Randolph. When officers arrived, they found an SUV in flames with extensive front-end damage and a Dodge Ram pickup that also sustained significant damage to its front. The pickup truck was positioned northbound in the southbound lane. Officers observed brake marks on the roadway indicating it had been traveling the wrong way.
Motorists had stopped at the scene and removed the two occupants from the SUV — Patricia Ann Olson, 49, and Peter Foxvog Olson, 68, both from Apple Valley. Despite life-saving measures, they were pronounced deceased.
Officers spoke with Nechville, who confirmed he was the driver of the pickup truck. He told officers various versions to where he was going and where he was coming from. Officers could smell alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot and watery. He denied consuming alcohol the night prior or that morning. Nechville was arrested and officers obtained a search warrant for a blood sample. The sample was collected and the results are pending.
Nechville was taken to a hospital, where he was evaluated for his injuries. While there, an investigator obtained a Mirandized statement. He admitted to drinking alcohol from midnight to 2:30 a.m. the night before at his house. He has two prior DWI convictions in the past ten years.
Nechville is currently in custody at the Dakota County Jail. Bail was sent in the amount of $500,000 without conditions ($300,000 with conditions) by Judge Dannia Edwards. Nechville's next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. in Hastings.
County Attorney Keena thanked the Dakota County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Patrol for the investigation of this 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.