Guilty plea accepted in vehicular homicide cases; Charles City woman’s sentencing set for July

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City woman who changed her plea to guilty for her involvement in the deaths of a Mason City couple in a traffic accident last September near Colwell has had her plea accepted in Floyd County District Court and sentencing has been set for this summer.

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 in April.

Last week, Judge DeDra Schroeder held a hearing and accepted the plea, then ordered sentencing for July 18.

Lindahl caused 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 ordered to take a blood sample from Lindahl and the result showed she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.146%.

The penalty for homicide by vehicle-OWI is an indeterminate term in prison of up to 25 years on each count.  The plea agreement for the guilty plea includes a recommendation that the sentences be served concurrently (at the same time) instead of consecutively (one after another).