Austin Man Avoids Prison Sentence For Deadly Hit & Run

Austin, MN (KROC-AM News) - Another plea agreement has been worked out with in Austin man who is charged with a deadly hit and run.

36-year-old Darren Finley had earlier agreed to plead guilty to a criminal vehicular homicide charge, but backed out of the deal in January after it became apparent the judge in the case would likely send him to prison. A new deal, announced today in Mower County Court, calls for Finley to serve a maximum of 180 days in jail along with probation.

In exchange, Finley entered a guilty plea to the criminal vehicular homicide charge stemming from the death of 41-year-old Melissa Rack on December 30, 2022. He was allegedly driving drunk when his vehicle struck the woman on Oakland Place next to East Side Park in Austin.

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A witness to the incident saw a white SUV stop near the site of the fatal collision before the driver ran back to where the victim was located, and then returned to the SUV and sped away. Austin police later located a damaged SUV parked in a driveway several blocks away from where the victim was found.

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The criminal complaint says the officers spoke with Finley and indicated he had glassy eyes and appeared to be intoxicated. The court document says he initially denied being involved, but later admitted he was driving and "hit something."

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His previous plea agreement fell apart when the judge in the case denied Finley's motion for a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines, which call for a four-year prison sentence.

Finley is now scheduled to be sentenced in September. His conditional bail has been set at $35,000.

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