Madelynn Louise Carroll of Richmond has pleaded not guilty to a slate of charges tied to a July 12, 2025 crash that prosecutors say left a 14-year-old passenger dead. Court filings allege Carroll was driving under the influence and that no one inside the vehicle was restrained at the time of the wreck. She has waived a preliminary hearing, so the felony case is moving straight toward formal arraignment. The allegations remain unproven, and Carroll is presumed innocent unless and until she is convicted in court. Local case files list several felony counts along with traffic-related infractions on separate dockets.
According to KTTN, online court records show Carroll waived the preliminary hearing in writing. At her request, the main felony case was continued to an initial arraignment now set for Aug. 5. The Ray County Circuit Court lists Kevin L. Walden as the presiding circuit judge. Court documents reviewed by the station describe Carroll as 18 or 19 years old in various filings.
A probable-cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol describes a rollover on Brady Creek Road east of Southpoint Drive that killed a 14-year-old passenger. Troopers reported that the driver smelled of alcohol and admitted drinking earlier that night. Local television reporting by KMBC notes the vehicle overturned and that a preliminary breath test at the scene registered about .084 percent blood alcohol concentration.
Court records cited by KTTN allege no one in the vehicle was wearing a safety restraint and that one victim was riding partially outside a window. The filings also accuse Carroll of holding or supporting an electronic device while driving and of violating intermediate license restrictions by carrying more than three passengers under age 19. Prosecutors have added separate misdemeanor counts for failing to drive on the right half of the road and for operating without financial responsibility.
Legal stakes
Under Missouri law, a DWI that results in a death is charged as a felony, with higher penalties when intoxication causes serious injury or death. State sentencing rules say a class C felony can carry a prison term of up to ten years. First-degree endangering the welfare of a child is also treated as a serious felony under state statute. The full sentencing ranges appear in RSMo §558.011, and the child-endangerment provisions cited in the case are set out in RSMo §568.045.
Why it matters
The case underscores two familiar dangers in rural crashes, especially for teens and younger riders: drinking and driving, and lack of seat belts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor-vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children in the United States and that many child passenger fatalities involve unrestrained occupants. That backdrop helps explain why prosecutors often layer child-endangerment counts on top of DWI allegations when young passengers are involved. Local officials and safety advocates regularly point to sober driving and consistent restraint use as the simplest ways to prevent tragedies like this.
Next steps
Carroll’s felony case is currently set for initial arraignment on Aug. 5, 2026, according to the court records cited above. A related misdemeanor docket has been continued to Aug. 25, 2026. Attorneys for both sides are expected to file pre-trial motions in the coming weeks, and any changes in scheduling will appear on the Ray County court docket.
