Woman won't face charges in hit-and-run

Authorities have located an 86-year-old Kalispell woman involved in the hit-and-run of a 15-year-old bicyclist June 20 in Kalispell.

Kalispell Police Sgt. Chad Zimmerman said the woman’s daughter turned her in after reading an article in the paper. Zimmerman did not release the identity of the woman.

The incident occurred last Tuesday when Cody Anderson, a Flathead High School student, crossed the intersection of Sixth Street West and Third Avenue East without stopping and rode out in front of the woman.

The woman’s front right bumper struck Anderson’s bike, knocking him to the ground.

According to a witness, the woman backed up to ask if the boy was OK and then drove off.

The teen suffered no major injuries.

Zimmerman said the woman will face no criminal charges but will have to submit to a mandatory evaluation to determine whether she should keep her driver’s license.

“This is the best resolution we could come up with in this situation,” Zimmerman said. “I don’t think issuing a $400 or $500 ticket to an 86-year-old woman would solve anything.”

After speaking with the teen’s mother, Zimmerman said all parties involved were satisfied with the outcome.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.