Charges: Driver was Racing in Crash that Killed Minnesota Pedestrian

Mankato, MN (KROC-AM News)- A young woman, whose vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian at a southern Minnesota intersection Monday night, is now facing a homicide charge. 

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The State Patrol responded to the car-pedestrian collision at the intersection of Madison Ave. and Hope St. in Mankato around 9:30 p.m. The pedestrian, identified as 66-year-old Jeffery Allie Ward of Mankato, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

An updated version of the state crash report identifies the driver of the car that hit Ward as 18-year-old Kaylee Lynette Richmond. Blue Earth County Court documents indicate Richmond was charged with one count of Criminal Vehicular Homicide - Operate Motor Vehicle in Grossly Negligent Manner on Tuesday. 

The charges say Richmond admitted to racing another vehicle while being treated at the scene of the deadly collision. She told emergency responders and a witness that she looked at the vehicle she said was trying to race her then saw Ward in the street when her gaze returned to the road. 

A State Patrol reconstruction of the deadly collision indicated Richmond’s vehicle was traveling between 70-75 mph when it struck Ward. There were no skid marks in the area in front of the deadly car-pedestrian collision, the criminal complaint says. The speed limit in the area of the deadly collision is 35 mph. 

Statements from two of the witnesses included in the complaint reported seeing a black vehicle that appeared to be racing Richmond’s vehicle then leaving the scene of the deadly incident. It’s unclear as of Wednesday morning if the driver of that vehicle has been located and identified.  

Richmond was taken from the crash scene to the Mayo Clinic Health System facility in Mankato for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries before being booked into the Blue Earth County Jail early Tuesday morning. 

Richmond has a bail hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning. The Blue Earth County Attorney’s Office is recommending Richmond’s conditional bail be set at $20,000. The investigation into the deadly incident remains ongoing.