A distracted driving crash in Champlin left one woman dead and another forced into emergency surgery.
CHAMPLIN, MN – A 17-year-old driver accused of looking at his phone caused a chain-reaction crash that killed a 70-year-old grandmother outside her home and sent a pregnant woman to the hospital for an emergency C-section, according to court documents and local reports.
The crash happened in December when the teen, driving a BMW, struck a Jeep driven by Linda Davis from behind as she waited to turn. The impact pushed her vehicle into oncoming traffic, where it was hit by a Ford SUV driven by a pregnant woman, authorities said. Davis was pronounced dead at the scene, described by her family as being “right in front of our house.”
Crash details and phone use evidence
According to a crash report cited by The Minnesota Star Tribune, “As [Davis] waited to turn, the BMW drove up behind the Jeep at a high rate of speed, did not slow down, and crashed into the Jeep.” Police allege the teen was distracted by his phone at the time of the collision.
Investigators obtained a warrant to examine the teen’s phone and found he was actively using an application in the minutes leading up to the crash. Records show activity from 3:20 p.m. until the collision around 3:28 p.m., with multiple interactions during that period, according to reports by KSTP and the Tribune.
The teen allegedly told investigators after the crash that “his brakes are really slow,” claiming that prevented him from stopping in time. Authorities say the phone data contradicts that explanation. The examination also indicated the teen called his mother before contacting 911 following the crash.
Impact on victims and family
The pregnant driver whose vehicle struck Davis’ Jeep was hospitalized and underwent an emergency surgical delivery. Both the mother and her baby survived, though she sustained multiple injuries, police said.
Davis, who had recently celebrated her 70th birthday, is remembered by her family as a central figure in their lives. A GoFundMe created in her honor described her as the “heart beat of her family.”
“Linda passed away … right outside their home in Champlin,” the fundraiser states. “Her sudden passing leaves a huge void. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and an adoring grandma who found her joy in her family. She loved everyone deeply and fully. Her faith was the center of her life, and she faithfully served her church community alongside her husband Bill for 38 years.”
The teen, now 18, has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide. Due to his age at the time of the crash, prosecutors intend to handle the case in juvenile court. Court records were not publicly available.
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