Change of venue denied in Minnesota crash that killed three

WILLMAR, Minn. (AP) — A judge in Kandiyohi County has denied a change of venue for a man accused of killing three family members in fiery highway crash.

Twenty-two-year-old Paul Wickenhauser faces 15 felony charges in the August crash near Willmar that killed 68-year-old Marta Stoffers, of Atwater, her 40-year-old daughter-in-law, Michelle Hoffman, of Eden Prairie, and Hoffman's 8-year-old daughter Julia. Hoffman's 5-year-old son survived his injuries.

The West Central Tribune reports defense attorney Lynne Togerson argued Tuesday that pretrial publicity about the case could taint a local jury pool.

Authorities say Wickenhauser was driving a pickup truck on Highway 12, crossed the center line and struck the victims' minivan, which caught fire.

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