​Shakopee Man Was Drunk In Crash Killing Bride-To-Be: Police

RICE COUNTY, MN — Brandon Patrick Dellwo, 29, of Shakopee was sentenced to 48 months in prison for the death of Kacy Merseal on Aug. 5. Merseal and a passenger were returning from a Bruno Mars concert that night when their Volkswagen was struck by a Lincoln Navigator driven by Dellwo.

The crash occurred on Highway 19 just west of I-35. A blood test showed Dellwo had a blood alcohol level of .27 after the crash, more than three times the legal limit, police said.

In addition to the 48 months of jail time, Dellwo received a sentence of 13 months to be served concurrently for the injuries to Merseal’s passenger. He was also ordered to pay restitution for the family of the victims, and he must pay $30,000 in fines.

"Nothing can replace the loss suffered by the Merseal family, or her fiancée," said Rice County Attorney John Fossum. "This is the sentence the guidelines commission settled on for this offense, and is likely the same as if we had gone to trial on these charges. The reconstruction and investigation by the Minnesota State Patrol made for a very strong case."

Kacy Merseal was 29 years old at the time of her death and was supposed to get married last Saturday. She lived in Iowa.

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