A 36-year-old Little Canada man is facing a criminal vehicular homicide charge after investigators say he struck and killed a pedestrian early Sunday morning, left the crash scene and later stopped at a nearby McDonald’s drive-thru.
Alex Ray Kisch was arrested after police connected a damaged 2023 Nissan Rogue to the fatal collision on Viking Drive near Lillehei Plaza. Court documents allege that the vehicle had visible damage after the crash, yet surveillance footage showed it continuing to the restaurant before returning to Kisch’s apartment.
Police were called to the area at about 2:25 a.m. Sept. 20 after someone reported seeing a person lying in the roadway. Officers found a 58-year-old man, identified in court documents by the initials JDH, lying face down near Viking Drive. Groceries and pieces of a vehicle were scattered nearby.
Investigators later traced pieces recovered from the roadway, including part of a passenger-side mirror, to a Nissan Rogue. A deputy subsequently located a Rogue in the parking garage of the Grand Pre Apartments, where Kisch lived. The SUV had fresh damage on its passenger side, and investigators said a missing body clip matched a piece recovered at the crash scene.
Police also reported finding hair and small amounts of blood on parts of the vehicle. McDonald’s food wrappers were reportedly inside the SUV.
Surveillance footage helped investigators reconstruct the night
Investigators reviewed video from several locations to establish the sequence of events.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim had left a Speedway around 1:24 a.m. carrying groceries. Video showed him walking through the McDonald’s parking lot and continuing along Viking Drive in the direction of his home.
Separate apartment surveillance showed Kisch leaving the Grand Pre Apartments around 2:01 a.m. with the Nissan Rogue’s passenger-side mirror intact. When the vehicle returned about 10 minutes later, the mirror was damaged and hanging from the side of the SUV.
Investigators said the Rogue was then seen traveling toward the McDonald’s parking lot. The passenger-side mirror appeared damaged as the vehicle went through the restaurant’s drive-thru, where the driver received food before leaving.
The surveillance evidence became an important part of the investigation because it helped investigators compare the vehicle’s condition before and after the suspected collision.
Police also examined Kisch’s movements before the crash
The investigation included a search of Kisch’s cellphone and a review of his movements earlier that night.
According to court documents, Kisch recorded a short video of a DJ at a bar at about 12:52 a.m. Investigators also found a record showing he paid $29.93 for an Uber ride from Minneapolis to his Little Canada residence at about 1:42 a.m.
Police later went to Kisch’s apartment at approximately 6:42 a.m. Investigators reported that he smelled of alcohol and was wearing a Fulton Brewery wristband along with a hand stamp that appeared consistent with entry to a bar or club.
Kisch acknowledged that he owned the Nissan Rogue but declined to answer questions about the damage to the vehicle, according to the
