71-year-old woman charged with reckless driving in crash that injured off-duty Wayzata officer
WAYZATA, Minn. — A 71-year-old woman faces charges in a crash that seriously hurt a Wayzata police officer earlier this month.
Sgt. Dan Lee with the Wayzata Police Department was off-duty on the morning of May 5 when he was hit by an SUV at a crosswalk in St. Michael. The crash happened near County Road 19 Northeast and Birsch Avenue Northwest, according to the Wright County Sheriff's Office.
Lee, 47, was riding his bike at the time of the crash. Court documents say his wife told investigators he suffered from fractures to his ribs, sternum and lower back, had bleeding behind his eyes and a large gash on his head. Lee was admitted to the ICU but is expected to recover.
Late Friday, the Wright County Attorney confirmed to WCCO that the office charged Susan Pospichal with reckless driving and failure to yield to a pedestrian. The first charge is a gross misdemeanor, while the latter charge is a misdemeanor.
Charging documents say Lee had been in the crosswalk with the walk signal on when Pospichal struck him with her vehicle. She allegedly appeared to stop before making a right turn, running over Lee. A witness told police he had to tell Pospichal to back up in order to get off of Lee.
Lee has worked with the Wayzata Police Department for 25 years. Currently, he leads the investigations unit.