Duluth woman arrested in connection with hit-and-run

Star Tribune

Last update: November 5, 2009 - 9:11 PM

A 27-year-old Duluth woman has been arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle that struck and seriously injured an 18-year-old Twin Cities man in an apparent hit-and-run accident in Duluth.

The suspect was arrested Wednesday afternoon, police said, thanks to news media coverage of the crash early Saturday.

She was in the St. Louis County jail Thursday awaiting charges, which could include two felonies, two gross misdemeanors and two misdemeanors.

Alexander Balluff, of Oak Grove, was walking on the shoulder in the 2200 block of Rice Lake Road shortly after 2:30 a.m. with three friends when he and one of the others were struck by an SUV heading in the same direction.

The vehicle left the scene.

Balluff, who played baseball and basketball for St. Francis High School, was in critical condition at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. According to his Caringbridge.org web page, Balluff suffered a severe brain injury.

The second person who was struck suffered an injured elbow.

Police located the SUV and gathered physical evidence linking it to the crash.

PAUL WALSH

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