Following a turn of events in a fatal hit-and-run case in Austin, Minnesota, Darin Douglas Finley, 36, has withdrawn his guilty plea and will now face a jury trial. According to the Austin Daily Herald, Finley retracted his September plea for felony criminal vehicular homicide after a request for probation was denied by the court.
A pretrial is set for May 10th, followed by the trial beginning on May 20th. The charges stem from an incident on December 30, 2022, when Melissa Rack, 41, was fatally struck by a vehicle driven by Finley. Rack was found lifeless in the street, without a pulse, and despite lifesaving efforts, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Finley, however, initially claimed to have struck a deer and maintained ignorance about the incident when confronted by police, "he had no idea what happened and that he did not remember driving", according to Austin Daily Herald.
Adding to Finley's legal troubles, KIMT News reports that less than two months after the fatal collision and while out on bail, he was arrested again for driving while under the influence (DWI) and driving after suspension. On Wednesday, he received a sentence of two years supervised probation for the DWI charge and must abide by several conditions to avoid additional jail time.
Law enforcement pieced together the December 30th incident using debris from the crash site and a witness statement. The damaged vehicle linked to Rack's death was located at the 1700 block of 1st Avenue SE, and subsequently, Finley was arrested at the home where the vehicle was parked. Despite the initial guilty plea, the upcoming trial will revisit the charges and evidence against Finley, who faces serious repercussions if convicted of the crimes tied to Rack's death.
