Inset: Linda Davis (GoFundMe). Background: The area in Champlin, Minn., where Linda Davis was killed by a distracted teen BMW driver, police say (Google Maps).
A Minnesota teen looking at his phone caused a car crash that claimed the life of a 70-year-old grandmother "right outside" her home and forced a pregnant woman to get an emergency C-section, police say.
The teen, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, is charged with criminal vehicular homicide for allegedly killing Linda Davis in December 2025. Court documents obtained by local ABC affiliate KSTP say the teen was distracted by his phone while driving a BMW, which led to him causing a three-car crash that also left a pregnant woman hospitalized.
The mother-to-be was rushed into surgery for an emergency baby delivery; she and her child both survived, but the mom sustained several injuries.
A crash report obtained by The Minnesota Star Tribune says Davis, who is described in a GoFundMe as the "heart beat of her family," was in a Jeep and preparing to turn when the teen slammed into her from behind while peering down at his phone.
"As [Davis] waited to turn, the BMW drove up behind the Jeep at a high rate of speed, did not slow down, and crashed into the Jeep," the report says, according to the Tribune.
The pregnant woman who was injured was driving a Ford SUV and struck Davis' Jeep after it was sent into oncoming traffic by the teen's BMW, police say.
Davis' daughter wrote on Facebook that the septuagenarian died at the scene and was "right in front of our house" when the crash happened. The GoFundMe for Davis' family says, "Linda passed away … right outside their home in Champlin."
The teen allegedly told investigators after the crash that "his brakes are really slow" and he claimed that's why he couldn't stop in time. Police say an examination of his phone, however, showed that the teen was using an application on his phone and was actively on it from 3:20 p.m. until the crash happened around 3:28 p.m., with numerous interactions found, the Tribune and KSTP report.
The phone exam, which was allowed through the execution of a search warrant, also showed that the teen allegedly called his mother before calling 911.
Davis had just celebrated her 70th birthday in November, her family says.
"Her sudden passing leaves a huge void," the GoFundMe says. "She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and an adoring grandma who found her joy in her family. She loved everyone deeply and fully. Her faith was the center of her life, and she faithfully served her church community alongside her husband Bill for 38 years."
Court information about the teen was not available online due to his age. While he is 18 now, state attorneys say they plan to prosecute the case in juvenile court.
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