Charges: Driver was drunk, high in head-on crash that killed 19-year-old woman

Prosecutors allege a 37-year-old Minneapolis man was under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he caused a wrong-way crash on Highway 169 in rural Scott County last weekend, killing a young woman and seriously injuring two others. 

Arianna Vos, a 19-year-old college student from Hutchinson, died in the crash. Two other women, both 20, sustained serious injuries — all three were in the vehicle hit by the wrong-way driver. 

On Friday, prosecutors charged Michael Merland Morse with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. 

According to the charging documents, Morse acted intoxicated at the scene of the crash and admitted to consuming three Captain Morgan drinks approximately 30-45 minutes before driving. 

Morse, who didn't initially report any injuries, said he didn't know he was driving the wrong direction on the highway and "all of a sudden" saw headlights, charges state. 

Officers allegedly recovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Morse's pockets and he later admitted to additionally smoking pot before driving. 

The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 22 in Saint Lawrence Township, near Jordan. 

Morse, who'd been driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 169, said he was heading to a friend's house in Carver to stay overnight before starting work at 6:30 a.m. 

Vos, a front passenger in the other vehicle, was transported directly to the Hennepin County Medical Center but had no pulse upon arrival and was pronounced dead. 

The two other occupants of the vehicle, a 20-year-old woman from Gaylord and a 20-year-old woman from Hutchinson, were transported to the St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee.

According to charging documents, the Gaylord woman who'd been driving suffered a fractured wrist and femur, the latter injury resulting in a permanent metal rod. 

The other passenger suffered bruises to her lungs, internal abdominal injuries including a liver laceration and fractures to her femur and sternum, also requiring surgery. 

If convicted, Morse faces up to 16 years in prison. He was booked into the Scott County Jail on Tuesday. 

Remembering Arianna Vos 

Vos is survived by her parents, Joel and Deirdra, and her three siblings, Aleysha, Alexis and Axel, according to her obituary. 

She had recently completed her sophomore year at Minnesota State Unversity in Mankato, where she'd been pursuing a degree in zoology and worked at Fed Ex and Pet Expo. 

"She had a love for animals and especially enjoyed her two snakes, Alfredo and Tartar Sauce, her geckos, Beans and Clementine, and had a special bond with her dog, Piper," her obituary reads. 

Vos graduated cum laude with honors from Hutchinson High School in 2020. 

She belonged to the St. Anastasia Catholic Church and was active in youth group at Faith Lutheran Church before joining Catholic Mavs and Cru in college. 

A GoFundMe page has been created to raise support for the Vos family.