Jordan John Weiland pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder after a street racing incident in Eagan, Minnesota, killed two young men. The crash occurred when his Honda Accord raced alongside a Jeep and Dodge Durango at speeds exceeding 110 mph in a 45 mph zone. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped vehicular homicide charges, with sentencing set for September 1.
On June 14, around 11:20 p.m., authorities responded to a crash at the intersection of Highway 149 and Highway 55 in Eagan, just outside Minneapolis. Investigators determined that a Jeep, Honda Accord driven by 21-year-old Jordan John Weiland, and Dodge Durango were street racing. The Jeep struck a pole, suffering catastrophic damage that split it in half and killed its occupants, 19-year-old Reed Robert Schultz and 18-year-old Finnian Thomas Cronin. Schultz died at the hospital, while Cronin succumbed weeks later after a valiant fight, according to his obituary. Surveillance and cellphone footage captured the vehicles weaving through traffic at 110 mph in a 45 mph zone before losing control. Weiland's Honda hit a median but was found unoccupied; he fled the scene in another vehicle without calling 911, despite knowing the Jeep was severely damaged, per the probable cause affidavit. He later admitted to investigators that they were traveling about 90 mph when a curve caused the loss of control, and conceded it 'looked like' racing. Weiland had consumed two shots of tequila earlier, with a blood alcohol content of 0.013, below the 0.08 legal limit. The Dodge Durango driver, 24-year-old Melody Lynn Little, remained at the scene and faces third-degree murder and vehicular homicide charges, with her trial scheduled for May. She denied racing but acknowledged the other vehicles were going too fast after a car meet-up in south St. Paul. Schultz, adopted from Guatemala, was remembered for his love of sports, fishing, and making connections, per his obituary. Cronin was noted for bringing people together.