Charles City woman pleading guilty to OWI highway deaths

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City woman has entered a written plea of guilty in Floyd County District Court for her involvement in the deaths of a Mason City couple in a traffic accident last September near Colwell.

Casey Jo Lindahl, now age 29, was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle, unintentionally causing a death while operating while under the influence. Each count is a Class B felony.

She was also charged with child endangerment because her 3-year-old son was in her car when she was driving while intoxicated. That charge is an aggravated misdemeanor. Lindahl and her son, who was in the back seat, received minor injuries in the crash, according to the Iowa State Patrol report.

Lindahl entered the written plea of guilty to all charges, including a traffic violation for driving on the wrong side of the road, in a petition filed last Thursday.

District Court Judge Gregg Rosenbladt set a plea hearing for May 9, and ordered the Second Judicial District Department of Correctional Services to prepare a presentence investigation report, as had been requested by Lindahl’s attorney, Benjamin Lynch, of Clive.

Lindahl is accused of causing the deaths of Chris Andersen, age 77, and Anita Andersen, age 76, of Mason City, in a traffic accident that occurred the afternoon of Sept. 4, 2021, west of Colwell, when she crossed the center line and crashed her vehicle head-on into the Andersen vehicle.

According to the criminal complaints filed in Floyd County District Court, a search warrant was issued to take a blood sample from Lindahl and the result showed she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.146%. The blood alcohol limit in Iowa where intoxication is legally assumed is 0.08%.

The penalty for homicide by vehicle-OWI is an indeterminate term in prison of up to 25 years on each count. The sentence cannot be suspended or deferred and a deferred judgment is not allowed on the charge.

The agreement for the guilty plea includes a recommendation that the sentences be served concurrently (at the same time) instead of consecutively (one after another), and that the defendant undergo a substance abuse evaluation.

Judge Rosenbladt’s order for a presentence investigation report says “the court does not necessarily expect” that it will be completed by the time of the plea hearing, indicating that sentencing may be set for a later date.