The driver who fatally struck a woman crossing a Fridley street early last week told police soon afterward that she panicked, drove to her home nearby and parked her damaged SUV in the garage without contacting law enforcement, according to a court filing Friday.

The pedestrian, Janice E. Hawkins, 68, of Fridley, died Wednesday morning at HCMC from injuries she suffered on Feb. 13 at NE. Mississippi Street and University Avenue, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said.

The SUV was heading west on Mississippi Street about 6:30 p.m. and hit Hawkins as she attempted to walk north across the street, according to Anoka County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Tierney Peters.

Police tracked down the 71-year-old driver thanks to a motorist who saw the collision and realized that the SUV had continued on without stopping, according to a search warrant filed in court that allowed for the vehicle's seizure. The witness explained that he followed the SUV and took a cellphone photo that showed its license plate number,

The woman told police that night that "she thought she may [have] struck a dog ... panicked and wanted to just get back to her home," the affidavit read.

The driver "did not display any signs of [drug or alcohol] impairment, cooperated with their investigation" and agreed to surrender her SUV, the filing continued.

Pieces of the SUV were recovered at the scene, according to the court document.