Woman hits man on Hwy 169, claims she thought it was an owl: Charges

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Grand Rapids, Minnesota, woman is facing one count of criminal vehicular homicide after she allegedly hit a man while driving on Highway 169, then later called police to report she had struck a turkey or an owl.

What we know

Cynthia Arlene Martin, 64, is charged in Itasca County after police say she left a man lying in the westbound lane on Highway 169 near Nashwauk just after 11 p.m. 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 on the road. At that point, he called 911, and stayed onsite until officers arrived.

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

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

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

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

Police say she 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).

Martin was previously the chair of the 8th Congressional District DFL in Itasca County.

The 8th Congressional District DFL is a separate entity from the Minnesota DFL, and its members are not employed or subordinate to the overarching Minnesota DFL party.

Both the DFL and GOP state parties have local units that are run by volunteer activists not employed by their respective parties.

According to their site, Lee Cutler is now acting chair of the 8th Congressional District DFL.

Investigation afterward

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, and determined the victim’s cause of death to be "extensive blunt force injury, including fracture at the base of the skull."

A toxicology report showed a .054 blood alcohol content (BAC) 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 with no vehicle damage, while footage from inside the Sawmill Saloon shows she did not consume any alcohol at dinner.

At the time of the crash, Martin had been speaking on her cellphone, during which she proclaimed, "Oh my god I hit something," charges state.

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

After searching her vehicle, investigators found a "small, torn piece of fabric caught in the hood of the vehicle" that was consistent with the sweatshirt worn by the victim.

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

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