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Charges: Texting Woman, 24, Seriously Injured Pedestrian In Crosswalk

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 24-year-old Minnetonka woman faces a felony charge for allegedly hitting and seriously injuring a pedestrian last June while texting and driving.

Stephanie Deloye is charged with one count of criminal vehicular operation, court documents show. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

The charge stems from a June 15 incident. A criminal complaint says Minnetonka police found a woman curled up in the fetal position and bleeding from her nose that afternoon near the intersection of County Road 101 and Excelsior Boulevard. She complained of hip pain. Doctors later diagnosed her as having suffered multiple pelvic fractures.

Nearby, Deloye was in an SUV with a cell phone in her lap.

Witnesses told officers that the victim was in a crosswalk when Deloye's SUV struck her while turning. They also said the SUV made no attempt to stop and that Deloye did not get out of the SUV to help the victim.

When police spoke with Deloye, they said she initially denied that she was texting or using her phone at all. Records showed, however, that Deloye sent texts less than a minute before the first 911 call about the incident came into police.

When confronted with the records, Deloye admitted to lying, the criminal complaint said. The 24-year-old said she had been texting before the incident, but only at stop lights.

She is currently not in custody.

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