Eagan Street Race Killed 2, Split SUV In Half; 2 Charged With Murder In High-Speed Crash

EAGAN, MN — Two young men were killed after a high-speed street race ended in a violent crash that tore a vehicle in half on Dodd Road in Eagan. Now, two drivers are facing murder charges, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced Thursday.

Melody Lynn Little, 24, of West St. Paul, and Jordan John Weiland, 20, of White Bear Lake, were each charged by warrant complaint with the following:

• Two counts of third-degree murder (perpetrating an eminently dangerous act and evincing a depraved mind), and
• Two counts of criminal vehicular homicide (operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner).

The charges stem from a crash that happened on June 14 at about 11:20 p.m., when Eagan police officers responded to a report of a multi-car crash with injuries near the intersection of Highway 149 and Highway 55.

Three vehicles were involved: a Jeep SUV, a Honda sedan, and a Dodge SUV.

After officers arrived, they provided emergency medical care to the two occupants of the Jeep: the driver, 19-year-old Reed Robert Schultz, and the passenger, 18-year-old Finnian Thomas Cronin.

Both victims were unresponsive and transported to a local hospital. Schultz died from his injuries shortly after arriving. Cronin continued to receive care at the hospital but died on July 1.

Officers found the Honda unoccupied at the scene. Police later learned that the driver, Weiland, had left in a different vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. He was located at a local hospital.

Police said Little, identified as the driver of the Dodge, was not injured in the crash.

Both Little and Weiland told investigators they had been part of a group of five to 10 cars attending a "car meet-up" in South St. Paul earlier that night.

Surveillance footage from the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows the Jeep, Honda, and Dodge traveling southbound on Dodd Road (Highway 149) at high speed, approaching Highway 55. Moments later, the Jeep and Honda lost control and crossed the concrete median. The Jeep struck a semaphore pole, splitting the vehicle in half.

Cell phone video recorded moments before the crash showed speedometers in both the Honda and Dodge reading around 110 mph, according to authorities.

County Attorney Keena thanked the Eagan Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol for their investigation.