MN driver was traveling 80 mph before causing crash that killed 5-year-old girl: police

LAKE ELMO, MN — A 47-year-old St. Paul man was charged Monday for his role in an East Metro crash that killed 5-year-old Morgan Rae Peterson.

Jeffrey D. Alexander Jr. is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The indictment accuses Alexander of “grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle” and of being “under the influence” of alcohol and a controlled substance.

If convicted, Alexander faces up to ten years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

On January 20, at approximately 8:45 p.m., a Ford Focus suffered a mechanical failure that left it stranded in the left lane of eastbound Highway 36 at Lake Elmo Avenue.

A Nissan Pathfinder – also traveling east on Highway 36 – crashed into the rear of the Ford Focus at highway speeds, authorities said.

Petersen – who was in the Ford Focus – was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where she died.

The girl's father and her 10-year-old brother were also in the Ford. They were both taken to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Nissan was behind another vehicle, and when the vehicle changed lanes to avoid the broken-down Ford, the Nissan struck the Ford from behind, according to investigators.

The road was clear and dry and the stalled vehicle's flashing lights were visible from about a quarter mile away, authorities said.

According to accident reconstruction experts, the Nissan was traveling faster than 96 km/h at the time of impact, but five seconds before the accident it was traveling at 130 km/h.

The speed limit on Highway 36 in this area is 65 MPH.

A search warrant was obtained to draw Alexander's blood. The draw revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.056 and the presence of clonazepam, which had been prescribed to the defendant, at a concentration of 0.004 mg/L, authorities said.

According to the criminal complaint, the State Patrol determined that the following factors contributed to the accident, among others:

• Alexander did not recognize the danger posed by the broken-down Ford before he moved into the left lane.
• Alexander did not comply with or exceeded the maximum speed limit
• Alexander did not pay attention to keeping enough distance between his vehicle and the vehicles in front of him in order to be able to react to dangers on the road.
• Alexander suffered from impairment caused by alcohol and clonazepam.