GRAND RAPIDS, Minnesota (FOX 9) – A Grand Rapids, Minnesotathe woman faces a number of felony vehicular homicide after allegedly hitting a man while driving on Highway 169, then later calling police to report hitting a turkey or owl.

What we know

Cynthia Arlene Martin, 64, is facing charges in Itasca County after police say she left a man lying in the westbound lane of Highway 169 near Nashwauk immediately after 23:00 on July 3, 2024.

According to the charges, a caller said he was driving on Highway 169 when he had to swerve to avoid hitting a person lying in the road. At that point, he called 911 and remained at the scene until officers arrived.

Officers at the scene found extensive debris, including pieces of a broken headlight. They then identified the vehicle involved as a 1999 to 2006 General Motors based on the parts that were discovered.

On July 4, around 5:54 a.m., the charges say Martin called law enforcement to report that she “may have been involved in the crash near Nashwauk.”

According to the charges, Martin claimed she had previously walked in the Aurora and Gilbert community parades before going to a dinner at the Sawmill Saloon that ended at 10:30 p.m., at which time she drove home.

Martin said that while driving home she hit something with her car, which she believed to be either a turkey or an owl, according to the charges. She was driving a 2005 GMC Yukon.

Police say they consented to a search warrant for a sample of her blood, which tested negative for all substances by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

Investigation after

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy and determined the victim’s cause of death to be “extensive blunt force trauma, including a fracture to the base of the skull.”

A toxicology report showed a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .054 and the presence of THC in the victim’s system.

Surveillance footage from the Sawmill Saloon parking lot at 8:43 p.m. shows Martin’s car undamaged, while footage from inside the Sawmill Saloon shows he did not consume alcohol at the dinner.

At the time of the crash, Martin was talking on her cell phone, during which she proclaimed, “Oh my god, I hit something,” the charges say.

At 11:40 p.m., surveillance footage shows Martin’s vehicle entering Grand Rapids with only one working headlight.

After searching his vehicle, investigators found “a small, torn piece of material stuck in the hood of the vehicle” that was consistent with the hoodie worn by the victim.

Police believe Martin was driving under the speed limit at the time of the crash.

On July 8, 2024, a caller reported to police that he saw a person wearing all dark clothing in the middle of the left lane of Highway 169 at approximately 11:15 p.m. on July 3rd.