Bemidji Police Seek Hit-And-Run Suspect

Example of where Saturn Ion should have received damage in the collision (Credit: Bemidji Police Department)

The Bemidji Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating the person involved in a hit-and-run collision that injured a pedestrian in Bemidji on July 30th.

A vehicle struck 64-year-old Juanita Tesar on July 30th while she was crossing Paul Bunyan Drive South near the Holiday Stationstore.

Tesar was taken to a Duluth area hospital for treatment of her injuries. Bemidji police detectives tell Lakeland News she is still recovering from her injuries.

Investigators found car parts at the scene and have determined the vehicle that hit Tesar was a 2003-to-2007 red or maroon Saturn Ion.

Video surveillance confirms a red car in the area at the time Tesar was hit but due to the video quality police were unable to see a license plate number and do not have a description of the driver. The suspect vehicle should have damage to the front passenger corner with a piece missing near the top corner of the passenger headlight.

If you have any information about the incident or specifically about a red or maroon Saturn Ion that may have been in the area on the night of July 30th, you are asked to contact Bemidji Detective Nicholas Whichello by phone (218-333-8312) or email ([email protected]). You should reference ICR 22015514.

You stay anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at their website CrimeStoppersMn.org; by calling the toll–free phone number 1–800–222–TIPS [8477]; or by using the P3 Tip Submit app installable on all smartphones.

All contact with Crime Stoppers is anonymous and you may qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. The Bemidji Police Department encourages you to submit information to Crime Stoppers so you are free of retribution and remain safe while “doing the right thing.”