A Sioux Falls woman is facing felony charges in connection with a deadly Highway 15 crash last summer that killed a Madelia couple. Alyssa Dawn Odens, now 19, has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation tied to the July 22, 2025 collision, according to court filings and local reporting. Prosecutors say data pulled from the car and evidence from a cellphone sit at the heart of the case.
The criminal complaint, reviewed by the Mankato Free Press, alleges Odens was driving a 2021 Nissan Altima that slammed into the rear of a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan stopped in a construction zone on Highway 15. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Odens’ phone and, according to the complaint, found a text message sent minutes before the collision and an incoming message received shortly after. Those details are part of what Brown County prosecutors relied on when filing the charges.
State Patrol Report And Crash Scene
The Minnesota State Patrol’s incident log places the crash at about 1:47 p.m. on July 22, 2025, on southbound Highway 15 near 170th Street in Cottonwood Township, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The report states a Dodge Grand Caravan stopped for road construction was hit from behind by the Altima. Brown County deputies, local EMS crews and other responders rushed to the scene.
The two people in the van, 75-year-old Ladonna Mae Mikkelson and 83-year-old Charles Keith Mikkelson, both of Madelia, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the State Patrol and local coverage. The driver of the Altima and two juvenile passengers from Sioux Falls sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to Madelia Hospital, CBS Minnesota reports.
Investigation And Evidence Cited In The Complaint
According to the complaint summarized by the Mankato Free Press, vehicle data indicated the Altima was traveling more than 90 mph five seconds before impact and still over 70 mph at the moment of the crash. A reconstruction by the State Patrol later estimated the impact speed at roughly 85 to 87 mph. Filings say Odens told investigators she had seen the construction warning signs, believed the vehicle ahead of her was moving, estimated her own speed at 65 to 70 mph and tried to brake before hitting the van.
The complaint notes Odens was 18 at the time of the crash and is now 19. The State Patrol’s incident entry lists two juvenile passengers from Sioux Falls, both about 10, as having non-life-threatening injuries and receiving treatment at Madelia Hospital, per the State Patrol. Mayo 1 Air EMS, along with local fire and ambulance crews, assisted at the scene. Authorities say the crash remains under investigation.
Legal Process
Prosecutors in Brown County have filed two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation, according to court documents cited in local reporting. Under Minnesota law, a conviction for criminal vehicular homicide can bring up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, while criminal vehicular operation carries varying penalties depending on the degree. Details are outlined in Minnesota Statutes §609.2112 and §609.2113.
Brown County court records will show future filings, hearings and any trial dates as the case progresses. For now, the charging documents and the State Patrol’s crash report remain the key public records outlining the allegations and the circumstances of the fatal highway collision.
