ROGUE RIVER, Ore. – A driver who struck and killed a pedestrian in Rogue River will not face criminal charges.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office said that on June 13, 75-year-old Claudia Townsend began crossing a street about 40 feet from a crosswalk. A driver stopped at a four-way intersection turned left onto West Main Street, striking Townsend and killing her.
The driver emotionally explained to police that once she saw Townsend in front of her, she slammed on the brakes and stopped immediately. The driver denied using her cell phone and was not intoxicated, prosecutors said. Her view of Townsend may have been obstructed by an inflatable bear near the intersection.
On September 17, prosecutors announced after an investigation that no criminal charges will be filed against the driver. “The events of that day were a terrible tragedy,” the district attorney’s office wrote. “However, they do not rise to the level of criminal conduct.”
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