Term of 4¾ years for Maple Grove woman who was extremely drunk, killed other driver in crash

A Maple Grove woman received a 4¾-year term for being extremely drunk when she caused a head-on crash in Champlin that killed the other motorist.

Jill M. Zetterwall, 59, was sentenced in Hennepin County District Court after pleading guilty to criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the collision on July 21, 2022, on Hwy. 169 near 117th Avenue that killed Adam M. Madsen, 37, of Anoka.

Zetterwall is expected to serve nearly 3¼ years of her term in prison and then the balance on supervised release.

At Zetterwall's sentencing Wednesday, the courtroom was standing room only. Madsen's family and friends, all wearing matching purple T-shirts with the words "The North Remembers," were there in honor of Madsen, an avid Minnesota Vikings fan.

"Adam could make someone with no interest in football love to watch the game with him. Adam loved the Vikings and was able to recall nearly any past players and the games they played," his obituary said.

According to the criminal complaint:

State Patrol troopers dispatched to the scene at 12:30 p.m. found Madsen in his car, which was upside-down in a ditch. He was declared dead at the scene.

Law enforcement noticed that Zetterwall smelled of alcohol. She appeared disheveled, her eyes were glazed over, and her speech was slurred. She said she had had her last drink — a vodka cocktail — about two hours earlier.

A preliminary breath test measured her blood alcohol content at .196%, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Minnesota. A blood sample taken about two hours after the crash measured her level of intoxication at an even higher .225%.

Madsen's obituary said he and his partner were the parents of four children. At the time of his death, he was employed as a supervisor at Delta Air Lines.