The driver of a large SUV heading the wrong way on a highway just south of the Twin Cities late at night killed a motorist in a head-on crash early Sunday, authorities said.
Wrong-way SUV driver near Northfield kills bride-to-be in car
Alcohol use by the man driving the Lincoln Navigator is cited by the patrol as a factor in the crash.
August 7, 2017 at 12:02PM
The collision occurred about 12:15 a.m. on Hwy. 19 east of Lonsdale, according to the State Patrol.
Kacy E. Merseal, 29, of Des Moines, died in the crash after being taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Merseal was engaged to be married in June 2018, according to an announcement posted online.
A passenger with Merseal, 29-year-old Tanya M. Von Weine, of Story City, Iowa, suffered noncritical injuries and was treated at a Northfield hospital.
The wrong-way driver of a Lincoln Navigator, identified by the patrol as Brandon P. Dellwo, 29, of Shakopee, also was taken to a hospital in Northfield and expected to survive his injuries.
Another motorist spotted the SUV traveling on the wrong side of the highway and called 911, then came upon the crash scene minutes later and called 911 again, according to State Patrol dispatch audio.
The patrol said that alcohol consumption by Dellwo was a factor in the crash, which occurred when he was heading east in the westbound lane.
Dellwo's criminal history in Minnesota since he became an adult includes two misdemeanor alcohol convictions as well as convictions three times for speeding, once for a red-light violation and another for operating an ATV without a license.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
