Twin Cities Woman Charged for Eyota Crash That Injured Winona State Student
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Charges have been filed against a Twin Cities woman following a crash at a southeast Minnesota roundabout earlier this week.
A crash report released by the State Patrol says two cars collided at the intersection of Hwy. 14 and Hwy. 42 in Eyota Tuesday night.
Read More: Crash at Rochester-Area Roundabout Injures Teen Driver
One car was southbound on Hwy. 42 and the other was heading east on Hwy. 14.
The eastbound driver, identified as 18-year-old Michael Kalal of Goodhue, was taken to St. Marys Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the state crash report.
Winona State College Student's Car Totaled in Roundabout Crash, Other Driver Suspected of Being Impaired
Kalal’s mother tells KROC news that her son’s car was totaled as a result of the crash. She says he is in a lot of pain and has difficulty moving.
His left side is bruised, swollen and scrapped but nothing was broken during the crash, his mother said. Kalal is in his freshman year at Winona State.
Apple Valley Woman Charged for Injury Crash at Eyota Roundabout
38-year-old Alicia Nielsen of Apple Valley was identified as the driver of the southbound car.
A criminal complaint filed against her Thursday in Olmsted County Court indicates Nielsen drove over the grass mound in the middle of the traffic circle and collided with Kalal’s car at the southern end of the roundabout.
A responding trooper spoke with Nielsen and described her speech as “thick and lethargic,” according to the complaint. She claimed she was looking at her iPad for directions prior to the crash.
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Nielson also told the trooper that she had used cannabis earlier in the day and said she was a 6 or 7 when asked how high she was on a scale from 1-10, according to the court document.
The Apple Valley woman showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests, the charges indicate. A blood sample was collected from her and sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing.
Nielson is charged with gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation and gross misdemeanor DWI.
Court records indicate she was previously convicted of gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation and gross misdemeanor DWI in cases filed in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Nielson was released without bail following her first court appearance Thursday and is due back in court next month.
