ST. PAUL, Minn. - Prosecutors and defense attorneys disagree over whether there are legal grounds to unlock the cellphone of a woman accused of killing two teenagers and severely injuring a third in an eastern Minnesota crash.
The Pioneer Press reports that 32-year-old Rachel Kayl was charged in May with criminal vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular operation.
The State Patrol says Kayl was driving between 77 and 85 mph in Arden Hills before striking a vehicle carrying three teen girls in December of 2016. Mounds View High School juniors Bridget Giere and Stephanie Carlson were killed, and fellow student Samantha (Sammy) Redden was seriously injured in the crash. All three girls were headed to school around 7 a.m. that morning.
Cellular records indicate Kayl wasn't talking or texting at the time of the crash, but prosecutors want to know if she was using the internet or an app while driving. Kayl's attorney says the request to unlock the phone violates her Fifth Amendment rights that prohibit self-incrimination.
A judge will consider the arguments next month.