ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to probation and community service for a crash that killed a mother, her son and another child.
Brittany Rose Mertz, 22, was sentenced to one year of probation, 200 hours of community service and must complete a safe driving course. She was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
Mertz was convicted of careless driving in connection with an April 17, 2008 crash in Inver Grove Heights that killed 30-year-old Brittany Beth Carlson of Zumbrota, her 2-year-old son, Brandon, and 4-year-old Tamaya Phillips of Minneapolis. Two other children in Carlson’s vehicle were seriously injured.
According to the criminal complaint, the accident occurred on Highway 52 near 117th Street when the vehicle Mertz was driving crossed through the median and struck the vehicle Carlson was driving.
Mertz was acquitted in October on charges of criminal vehicular homicide, criminal vehicular operation and reckless driving.
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom requested that Mertz serve 90 days in jail, which would have been the maximum sentence.
