A volunteer chaplain for Eden Prairie is under investigation in connection with a hit-and-run crash that left a 2-year-old girl with life-threatening injuries on Aug. 21, the city said in a news release Friday.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has made the decision not to identify the driver, as he has not yet been arrested or charged.
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Investigators say a woman and four children were crossing the street in a crosswalk at Mitchell Road and Chestnut Drive. Witnesses initially said the suspect vehicle was a white sedan.
Two-year-old Somaia was brought to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. As of Friday, family members tell KSTP she is still in critical condition.
RELATED: Family of child seriously injured in Eden Prairie speaks out
According to a search warrant that was filed by a state trooper, a possible suspect came forward and reported his possible involvement in the crash to police. Eden Prairie police asked State Patrol to take over the investigation “to avoid any possible conflict” after they learned the man was a chaplain for their department.
A spokesperson for Eden Prairie police said the chaplain is no longer volunteering with the department pending the results of the investigation.
At the possible suspect’s home, investigators found a red truck with damage to its left side and driver’s side mirror. Court documents state the missing portion of the mirror matches debris found at the scene.
The man told investigators he was driving in the area of the crash when he was distracted by a text on his cell phone. He said he opened his phone to read the message when he heard a bump.
Court documents state the man added that he never stopped to check what he hit, but later stopped to cut off his broken mirror.
The vehicle was brought to BCA headquarters pending the approval of a search warrant. The search warrant that was unsealed on Friday was to investigate the man’s phone.
Court records show the man was cited in 2022 in Plymouth for failing to drive with due care.
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