VALLEY CITY, N.D. (KFGO) – Barnes County State’s Attorney Tonya Duffy has charged a Mandan man in a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian on Interstate 94 west of Valley City last December.
Garret Kuntz, 22, is charged with manslaughter and duty in accident involving death or personal injury. Both charges are Class B felonies.
The investigation, headed by the highway patrol, identified Kuntz as the driver of a pickup that struck and killed Jerson Mejia, 27, of Honduras. An anonymous tip led to Kuntz as the driver. The patrol had earlier asked for the public’s help in finding a vehicle with damage to the front bumper and passenger-side front fender. The patrol also found a piece of damaged bug shield in the ditch near where Mejia’s body was located.
Law enforcement checked on Mejia after drivers reported a pedestrian walking along the interstate on Dec. 20. Mejia said he did not need assistance. It’s believed he was struck shortly after midnight on Dec. 21. His body was found in the ditch later that day.
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