Eden Prairie Woman With Prior DWI Convictions Charged in Fatal Wrong-Way Crash on Highway 212
Published: April 14th 2026
EDEN PRAIRIE: A woman who has a history of impaired driving offenses has been charged in Hennepin County District Court in connection with a fatal wrong-way crash on April 11, 2026, on Highway 212 in Eden Prairie.
According to the complaint, officers with the Eden Prairie Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol responded to reports of a pickup truck traveling the wrong direction on westbound Highway 212 near Prairie Center Drive. A short time later, a head-on collision was reported involving the wrong-way vehicle and another car.
Officers located a pickup truck that had collided head-on with a sedan. The driver of the sedan sustained catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Amanda Lyn Merriman, who is charged with criminal vehicular homicide — operating a vehicle with negligence while under the influence of alcohol.
Officers noted the odor of alcohol coming from Merriman following the crash, according to the complaint. Merriman told officers she had consumed two vodka cranberry drinks prior to driving. She was transported to a hospital, where a search warrant was obtained for a blood sample. Results of that testing were pending.
After being advised of her rights, Merriman told investigators she had been driving from an establishment in River Falls, Wisconsin, to her home in Victoria, Minnesota. She stated she had planned to attend a fundraiser but instead watched a hockey game. She told officers she was familiar with Highway 212 and that road and visibility conditions were normal.
Merriman stated she believed a crash was imminent 30 to 45 seconds before the collision and attempted to brake, according to the complaint. She said she did not realize she was traveling the wrong direction and declined to answer whether she had consumed alcohol prior to the crash.
Troopers located a glass pipe and a baggie containing marijuana in the vehicle, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges Merriman has prior impaired driving convictions, including a gross misdemeanor DWI conviction in September 2025 for which she was on probation at the time. She also had prior DWI-related license revocations and was on probation in a separate controlled substance case. Her driver’s license was revoked at the time of the crash.
Merriman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.