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Crime, Law and Justice
Estelle Timar-Wilcox
Updated:

Charges filed in fatal hit-and-run crash on Iron Range

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A Grand Rapids woman has been charged in connection with hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian dead in northern Minnesota on July 3.

Cynthia Martin, 64, was charged this week in Itasca County. She faces a charge of criminal vehicular homicide in the crash that caused the death of Carter John Haithcock, 19, of Goodland.

The complaint alleges that Martin struck Haithcock with her SUV late at night along U.S. Highway 169 near Nashwauk, and then kept driving. Haithcock had reportedly left a street dance in Nashwauk and was walking home.

According to the complaint:

The first 911 call about the crash was from another driver who reported swerving to avoid a body in the road. Officers examined the scene and determined that the person in the road had been struck by another vehicle. 

Martin allegedly called 911 around 6 a.m. the next day to report the crash, saying she thought she hit an owl or a turkey. 

Investigators inspected Martin’s vehicle and found extensive damage to the front that appeared to match the crash — including blood on a windshield wiper and side mirror, and a piece of fabric that matched Haithcock’s clothing.

Surveillance video from a gas station near the crash scene allegedly showed an SUV with one headlight stopping along Highway 169 for about 25 seconds before leaving, at about the same time as the crash. Martin’s SUV was later found to have one broken headlight.

Martin has been active in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, including serving as the DFL’s 8th Congressional District chair until recently. The 8th Congressional District DFL website listed a new acting chair as of Thursday morning.

Martin’s first court appearance is next month. Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Haithcock was a 2023 graduate of Nashwauk High School, and the father of a 2-year-old son. His obituary remembered him as someone who had a passion for “helping people who were going through hard times. He was caring, genuine and was such a funny sweet boy who took care of everyone.”