Shocking new details in a hit-and-run that killed a beloved family practice doctor
KATHIO TOWNSHIP, Minn. — Dr. Cathy Donovan was fatally struck while she was out for an evening walk with her dogs back in November near Lake Mille Lacs.
"There's a pit in our stomach, it's such a loss," said Patti Hook, Donovan's friend.
But new search warrants filed Thursday are giving them hope that authorities are close to finding a suspect.
Investigators have been speaking with an Edina man who drives a Tesla Model X. The vehicle was caught traveling the area on multiple surveillance cameras around the time of the crash.
The prime suspect now says if he did it, his car was in control, not him.
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The new warrants reveal where he told investigators if he killed that beloved doctor, he did, while his Tesla, was on auto-pilot.
In early January, the suspect told investigators, "he had not heard of the Cathy Donovan hit-and-run fatality and did not know anything about it."
Two weeks later, while he still denies hitting Donovan, he now says if he did, "he would have been alone in his Tesla, driving on 'auto-pilot,' not paying attention to the road, while doing things like checking work emails."
WCCO's Ubah Ali went to his house Friday to ask him about that statement, but no one was home.
Law professor David Schultz commented on whether or not self-driving mode could be a real defense in a court of law. Schultz said the law currently says you are responsible for the control of your car as the driver.
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However, Schultz says when it comes to self-driving vehicles, like this Tesla, the law hasn't caught up to the technology. So, the argument is untested in court.
"Technically in the law, the car is supposed to be in your control, but it might be a good argument that a jury might be willing to listen to," said Schultz.
The man's attorney, David Risk, sent WCCO this statement:
"This is a horrible tragedy for all involved. My client is inconsolable thinking that he was involved in the accident with Ms. Donovan, and he is heartbroken for her family, her loved ones, and the community. We are committed to finding out the entire truth about what occurred. My client voluntarily spoke to investigators and he explained it is probable his car would've been using Tesla's Full Self-Driving Capability. He will continue to fully cooperate with this investigation until its completion as we continue to learn new information."
