A driver was extremely drunk one weekday afternoon last month when she caused a head-on crash in Champlin that killed the other motorist, according to charges filed Friday.
Jill M. Zetterwall, 58, of Maple Grove, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the collision on July 21 on Hwy. 169 near 117th Avenue that killed Adam M. Madsen, 37, of Anoka.
A warrant has been issued for Zetterwall's arrest. Messages were left with her seeking a response to the allegations. Court records do not list an attorney for her.
According to the criminal complaint:
State Patrol troopers dispatched to the scene at 12:30 p.m. found Madsen in his car, which was upside-down in a ditch. He was declared dead at the scene. Zetterwall's SUV was also at the crash scene.
Witnesses told the patrol that Zetterwall's northbound SUV failed to stop for slowed traffic ahead. The SUV veered to the left, clipped a vehicle in front and crossed into the median. It continued into the southbound lanes and struck Madsen's car.
Law enforcement noticed that Zetterwall smelled of alcohol. She appeared disheveled, her eyes were glazed over, and her speech was slurred. She said she had her last drink — a vodka cocktail — about two hours earlier.
A preliminary breath test measured her blood alcohol content at .196%, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Minnesota. A blood sample taken about two hours after the crash measured her level of intoxication at an even higher .225%.
According to his online obituary, Madsen and his partner were the parents of four children. At the time of his death, Madsen, an avid Vikings fan, was working as a supervisor at Delta.
