Police: Driver who fatally hit pedestrian in Twin Cities parking lot blames accleration malfunction

A driver who hit and killed a pedestrian last week outside a St. Louis Park shopping mall told police that a vehicle malfunction was to blame, according to newly disclosed court documents.

The crash occurred about 1:30 pm. on Dec. 13 in the parking lot of the Shoppes at Knollwood in St. Louis Park on Hwy. 7 just east of Hwy. 169, police said.

First responders attempted lifesaving efforts on the pedestrian, but she was declared dead at the scene by paramedics, according to police.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Debra Kay-Larson Cizinski, 72, of Minneapolis.

The driver, an 81-year-old woman from Minneapolis, stayed at the scene and spoke with police, search warrant affidavits disclosed this week. The filings by the St. Louis Park Police Department cleared the way for a judge to approve a review of exterior surveillance video in the area and to collect digital data from the SUV.

According to the filings:

The driver said she was in a parking spot and was speaking on her phone through Bluetooth while the engine was running.

After finishing her conversation, she said she went to turn off the car by pushing the start button.

“When she did this, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped a curb, struck the pedestrian, then struck another car, and eventually came to rest against the light pole,” the filing said.

The driver said her foot was never on the accelerator at the time.

A preliminary breath test given to the driver by police showed no sign of intoxication. She said she takes medication for cancer treatment.

The driver of the car that was hit by the SUV said she was heading down an aisle in the parking lot and saw the vehicle in the air and heading her way. Her car was sent spinning after being hit in the front passenger-side wheel area.

Neither driver was injured.