An alleged hit-and-run in a Minneapolis alley reportedly left a 3-year-old girl with life-threatening injuries and later led to an insurance fraud investigation, according to court records.
According to reports, the child was outside near her driveway with her brother on October 13. They were playing in the dirt close to an alley when she was allegedly struck by a passing SUV. Investigators believe the driver briefly stopped, got out of the vehicle, then got back in and drove away without calling for help.
Emergency crews were soon called to the scene, and the girl was rushed to the Hennepin County Medical Center. According to the criminal complaint, she was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with severe facial injuries, a skull fracture, a brain bleed, and a traumatic brain injury.
Surveillance footage from nearby businesses reportedly captured the SUV leaving the area. The video allegedly showed the driver later pulling into a nearby convenience store with two passengers. Investigators said the driver was seen watching an ambulance head toward the crash scene.
Using surveillance footage, the police traced the vehicle and contacted its owner, who is related to the suspect. They later learned an insurance claim had been filed with Nationwide, reportedly stating that she had hit a large rock in an alley. In a recorded statement to the insurance company, the suspect allegedly claimed she found a child crying over a toy, and the girl had not been hit or hurt.
When an investigator later talked to the suspect by phone, she reportedly admitted to driving the SUV but denied striking a child. Court documents say she suggested the situation was the result of parental neglect.
On December 12, the woman was taken into custody and booked into the Hennepin County Jail. She is facing preliminary charges of one count of felony criminal vehicular operation and one count of failure to stop after a traffic collision causing injury. She was freed on conditional release on December 17, after posting bond, and the case remains under investigation.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.