Jury finds Edgar woman guilty of vehicular homicide

Chris Vetter, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Jan. 19—CHIPPEWA FALLS — After deliberating for 2 1/2 hours, a Chippewa County jury on Wednesday found an Edgar woman guilty of homicide by negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

Miranda Jo Miller, 23, apparently missed a stop sign, causing a fatal crash north of Stanley in July 2017. Her vehicle struck a truck driven by Jeremy Goodwin of rural Chippewa Falls, causing his death.

Miller showed no visible response, and the courtroom remained quiet, as Judge Steve Gibbs read the verdict.

Gibbs ordered a pre-sentence investigation, and he set a sentencing date of March 14.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Gibbs determined that Miller would not be taken into custody at this time.

"She hasn't violated conditions of her bond since this was filed in 2019, so the bond will remain in effect," Gibbs said.

Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell thanked the jury for focusing on the facts; the jury listened to a lot of accident reconstruction details from the Wisconsin State Patrol on Tuesday.

"I appreciate the jury's deliberation and verdict," Newell said at the conclusion of the hearing. "Distracted driving and negligent behavior will be held accountable."

Miller has no prior criminal record, and Newell said there is no mandatory minimum sentence for this offense. That is one of the reasons Gibbs ordered a pre-sentence investigation, Newell said.

"There's a lot more to the PSI than the criminal record," Newell said. "It goes into her remorse, and the victim impact."

Defense attorney Karl Schmidt declined to comment after the hearing.

According to the criminal complaint, the two-vehicle crash occurred at 12:36 p.m. July 22, 2017, at the intersection of Highway G and 170th Avenue in the town of Colburn.

Goodwin, 46, 12123 Highway X, was driving a 2002 Ford 350, headed southbound on Highway G, with two passengers, ages 9 and 15.

Miller was westbound on 170th Avenue, and the two vehicles collided in the intersection. Goodwin's vehicle entered the right ditch and rolled; he was pinned under the truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No alcohol was found in the system of either driver. The crash reconstruction report indicates Goodwin was likely traveling 40 to 60 mph, and Miller was going 18-34 mph.