Man arrested, suspect of fatal hit-and-run

A police report was released Tuesday morning, indicating a hit-and-run accident that caused the death of 67-year-old, Vivian Hoffmann, who was walking along the 700 block of Meadow Creek Drive.

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Police officials said that the accident occurred Monday, around 11:20 pm. On Thursday morning, police officials announced the arrest of 27-year-old suspect, Todd Burnes, who had been apart of the police department for four years.

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According to the arrest affidavit, Burnes was driving a tan, unmarked police car while he was responding to a car accident west of Meadow Creek Drive at the time the accident occurred.

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Burnes told investigators that while he was driving, he heard a loud thump, but was uncertain as to what it was from. "I did not check because I was hurrying to respond to the police call," Burnes said.

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The following morning, Burnes noticed damage to his vehicle, however he filed a false police report on Tuesday afternoon, in which stated that he had sideswiped a telephone pole.

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According to police officials, investigators found gray, wool fibers that were stuck to the fender of Burnes' vehicle, which resembled the fibers of which were apart of the wool coat Hoffman was wearing at the scene of the crime.

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Investigators said that there are no sidewalks or streetlights along Meadow Creek Drive, therefore it is unsafe for pedestrians to walk along that particular road.

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Kayli Steger, president of the Meadow Creek Drive neighborhood watch, states that the watch team had complained to the city for years that it is unsafe for pedestrians.

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"New sidewalks and additional lighting would go a long way to make it safe for our residents," Steger said. "It's a shame that something like this had to happen before city officials took our complaints seriously."

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Burnes was charged with vehicular manslaughter, as well as fleeing the crime scene, failure to report the accident, failure to render assistance, and filing a false police report.

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"Sadly, today, I have to take one of our own into custody because of his failure to live up to our motto: to protect and serve," Police Chief, Barry Kopperud said Thursday morning, at a press conference.

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Kopperud introduced a special fund held at the Community Bank, in which allows citizens the ability to contribute donations to help the Hoffman family with expenses.