A 59-year-old Bemidji man and a 53-year-old Cass Lake woman appeared in Hubbard County District Court Jan. 22 in connection to a hit and run accident that claimed the life of a pedestrian Jan. 14 on U.S. Highway 2.
Myron Lee Gibbs has been charged with felony criminal vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. Phyllis Ann Day has been charged with felony aiding an offender.
At 1:27 a.m. Jan. 14, Minnesota State Patrol responded to a call of a person, later identified as Lisa C. Schulman, 42, of Cass Lake, lying near the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and Hubbard County Road 46.
An hour later Day called law enforcement to report that she had struck something near where Schulman was found, according to the formal complaint from Hubbard County District Court.
Officers took Day to the hospital for alcohol testing where she recanted her earlier statement, telling officers that she was not the driver of the vehicle and had lied for insurance purposes, according to the complaint.
ADVERTISEMENT
Day told officers she had been with her husband and Gibbs at MJ's Saloon on U.S. Highway 2, but she had only sat in the driver's seat prior to the accident as the car was warming up.
When officers questioned Gibbs, he admitted to driving the car, striking something on U.S. Highway 2 and fleeing the scene, according to the complaint. His clothes contained shards of glass from the windshield, which was damaged on the driver's side.
If convicted of felony criminal vehicular homicide, Gibbs could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
If convicted of felony aiding an offender, Day could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
