PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — Minnesota State Patrol said a 68-year-old man was struck and killed Friday as he walked along Highway 34 in Park Rapids.
Troopers said a 37-year-old woman was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee east on Highway 34 around 5:45 p.m. Friday. She told officers she had struck an animal, but her phone was dead and she was unable to stop because of traffic, officials said.
The woman returned to the scene but continued driving when she saw emergency vehicles. She called 911 later to follow up, according to state patrol.
The victim, 68-year-old Willard Eugene Pietila of Park Rapids, was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
Officials indicated that the victim had been drinking.
Watch more KARE 11 News at Noon:
Check in with the friends of the show who stopped by KARE 11 News at Noon in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
