Trial Underway in Owatonna Fatal Distracted Driving Case

Owatonna, MN (KROC-AM News) - A trial is taking place this week in Steele County in the case of a man accused of distracted driving and causing the death of a well-known retired Owatonna businesswoman last year.

According to court documents, 20-year-old Hunter Joseph Conrad of Morristown was driving a pickup truck pulling a trailer that collided with another vehicle at an intersection north of Owatonna on May 28, 2024. The crash claimed the life of Jackie Ostlund of Owatonna.

Get our free mobile app

The criminal complaint says Conrad was traveling west on a rural road when he went through a stop sign, and Ostlund's vehicle collided with the trailer he was pulling. The court document indicated that Conrad acknowledged driving through the stop sign by stating, "I did more of a yield, I rolled it. Because I didn't see it coming up the hill. I didn't make a complete stop, which is on me."

The charging document says Conrad denied being on his cell phone, but a forensic examination of the device led investigators to conclude Conrad was "actively using his cell phone in the minutes leading up to the crash, if not at the time of the crash."

The evidence listed in the criminal complaint included data extracted from the airbag control module, or so-called "black box," taken from both vehicles. The court document says the data pointed to the speed of Conrad's pickup being between 55 and 60 miles per hour at the time of the crash. The device also indicated that the "brake status" was off during the five seconds preceding the impact.

Conrad is charged with criminal vehicular homicide, along with misdemeanor counts of careless driving and failure to obey a stop sign. Steele County Court records indicate the trial is expected to run through the end of this week.

More Minnesota News:

• Man Dies in Apparent Rochester Drug Overdose
• Third Person Convicted For Deadly Austin Drive-By Shooting
• Swimmer Charged for Sex Assault of Child at Rochester Lake