Driver in Lake Elmo crash that killed 5-year-old girl pleads guilty
Lake Elmo crash charges filed in 5-year-olds death
A crash in Lake Elmo that killed a 5-year-old Morgan Petersen in January has led to the driver of the oncoming vehicle being charged with vehicular homicide. FOX 9?s Maury Glover spoke to the family of the child now seven months-later.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. (FOX 9) - The driver in the crash that killed a 5-year-old girl in Lake Elmo in January 2024, has pleaded guilty.
Guilty plea in fatal Lake Elmo crash
What we know:
According to court documents, Jeffrey Dean Alexander Jr., 49, has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal vehicular homicide.
Prosecutors are seeking a 48-month, or two-year, prison sentence for Alexander, court documents state.
Alexander was initially charged with two counts of felony criminal vehicular homicide, including operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner and for operating a vehicle with negligence under the influence.
What's next:
Alexander is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10.
5-year-old girl killed in crash
Lake Elmo family mourns 5-year-old crash victim
An east metro family is grieving after a weekend tragedy after their 5-year-old daughter was killed in a crash on Highway 36 in Lake Elmo.
The backstory:
The crash happened around 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2024, at the intersection of Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Boulevard.
Charges say a Ford vehicle was stalled in the left lane of eastbound Highway 36 due to a mechanical issue and had its emergency lights on.
A driver of another vehicle moved over to avoid the stalled vehicle, but the driver of a Nissan Pathfinder failed to do the same and struck the Ford from behind.
Morgan Petersen, a 5-year-old girl in the Ford vehicle, was significantly injured in the crash and later died from her injuries.
"She was always happy. She was a great little girl. She was the light of my life. Every day she woke up, and she wanted to do something nice and listen to music videos and dance," her father previously told FOX 9.
The Source: Information from court documents out of Washington County and past FOX 9 reporting.