On April 11, 2026, Eden Prairie Police officers and Minnesota State Patrol troopers responded to a report of a truck driving in the wrong direction on westbound Highway 212 near Prairie Center Drive in Eden Prairie, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that a head-on collision occurred between the wrong way driver and a second vehicle. Officers and troopers responded and saw a pickup truck crashed into a small sedan on the highway. The driver of the sedan sustained catastrophic injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene.
The driver of the truck was subsequently identified as AMANDA LYN MERRIMAN, DEFENDANT herein. In interacting with Defendant after the crash, officers noted the odor of alcohol coming from her. Defendant admitted that she had consumed two vodka cranberry drinks before driving. Defendant was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. A search warrant was prepared to obtain a sample of her blood, and a sample was collected. The results of the testing are forthcoming. At the hospital, Defendant was advised of her rights pursuant to Miranda and stated that she was driving home from an establishment in River Falls, Wisconsin to her home in Victoria, Minnesota.
She stated that she planned to attend a fundraiser at the establishment but ended up watching a hockey game on their tv instead. Defendant stated that she was driving on Highway 212 and drives this roadway weekly. She reported that visibility and road conditions were fine. Defendant reported that she had her GPS mounted in the vehicle providing her directions. She stated that she perceived that she was going to be in an accident 30-45 seconds before the collision and reported that she applied her brakes.
Defendant stated that she did not know that she was traveling the wrong way on the highway. She stated that she preferred not to answer whether she had been drinking alcohol prior to the collision. In a search of Defendant's vehicle, troopers located a glass pipe used for consuming narcotics and a baggie of marijuana. Defendant has prior convictions for DWI and implied consent [DL# REDACTED] for DWI to include: - Gross Misdemeanor DWI convicted 9/16/2025 (82-CR-24-2949) for which she is presently on probation - Implied consent revocation of her driver's license from March 17, 2019 - Misdemeanor DWI convicted 12/27/2005 (27-CR-05-079228) Defendant was on probation for a Controlled Substance in the Fifth-Degree offense at the time of this offense (82-CR-25-284) for possession of methamphetamine.
At the time of this offense, Defendant's Minnesota driver's license was in a revoked status due to the 2024 DWI conviction.
