A man accused of killing a pedestrian in a fatal hit-and-run in Little Canada, Minnesota, allegedly drove to a McDonald’s drive-through for food before returning to his flat, prosecutors say.
Alex Ray Kisch, 36, has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide over the death of a man identified in court documents by the initials JDH. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000 if convicted.
Police were called to Viking Drive near Lillehei Plaza at about 2.25am on 20 September after a passer-by reported seeing someone lying in the road. Officers found JDH face down, with groceries and broken vehicle parts scattered across the carriageway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy found multiple serious injuries, including broken ribs, two spinal fractures and a skull fracture accompanied by bleeding on the brain. The Ramsey County medical examiner described the head injuries as “catastrophic” and concluded that he had been struck by a vehicle while walking.
Police trace damaged Nissan Rogue
Investigators determined that fragments recovered from the road, including pieces of a wing mirror, came from a Nissan Rogue. About two hours after the collision, a deputy found a damaged 2023 Nissan Rogue in the car park of the Grand Pre Apartments, close to the scene.
The vehicle was registered to Kisch, who lived in the building. Police said it had fresh damage to the front passenger side, a broken mirror and a missing body clip matching a piece found at the crash site. Officers also reported seeing hair, an oily smear and several drops of blood on parts of the vehicle.
McDonald’s wrappers were visible inside the Nissan, according to the criminal complaint. Surveillance footage allegedly showed the vehicle entering the restaurant’s drive-through after the collision, stopping at the ordering screen and then proceeding to the payment window, where Kisch was identified as the driver.
Separate footage from the apartment garage showed Kisch leaving in the Nissan at about 2.01am with the passenger-side mirror intact. When he returned roughly ten minutes later, the mirror was hanging from the vehicle. He was then seen walking around the passenger side before entering the building.
Police searched Kisch’s flat at about 6.42am. The complaint says officers noticed an alcohol odour and that he was wearing a wristband from Fulton Brewery, with a mark on his hand consistent with entry to a bar or club.
After being told he was under arrest in connection with a death, Kisch allegedly asked: “Homicide? How is that…” When officers said a person had been struck by his vehicle and had died, he lowered his head and replied: “That’s insane.”
Investigators said phone records showed Kisch had been discussing a visit to Fulton Brewery and had recorded a video of a DJ at a bar shortly before the incident. The records also showed he paid for an Uber from Minneapolis to his home at 1.42am on 20 September.
A blood sample was taken at Regions Hospital under a search warrant before Kisch was booked into Ramsey County Jail. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.
