Fatality suspect captured on video, leaving scene

A Qulin woman was charged Tuesday in connection with the death of a pedestrian who died after being hit by a SUV on Highway 51.

Misty Dawn Stark, 40, was charged with the Class D felony of leaving the scene of an accident by Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Matt Michel.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight Sunday morning on Highway 51, just south of Broseley, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Chance Berry’s probable cause statement.

Upon arrival at the scene, Berry said, there was a white Chevrolet Trailblazer sitting in the southbound lane of the highway and a male sitting in a ditch next to the road where emergency-medical-services personnel were providing first aid to a female.

The woman, identified as Chelsie N. Fortner, was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m. by a doctor there.

During the investigation, Berry said, the man reported being at the bar down the road with Fortner, 29, and Stark. Fortner reportedly left on foot after an argument.

After staying at the bar “a little bit,” Stark reportedly said she would drive, so they could find Fortner.

Berry said the two headed south on Highway 51, and Fortner “came out of nowhere. Misty (Stark) slammed on the brakes, but (Fortner) was right there in the road.”

Start allegedly struck Fortner before getting out of the car and “took off running.”

The man reported he started CPR on Fortner and called 911.

At about 3:30 a.m., Berry said, he interviewed Stark at her residence in the 100 block of D Street in Qulin, where she reported no knowledge of a crash.

“Stark stated when she left the bar, she took back roads home with her boyfriend and didn’t see a crash,” Berry said. “We advised her that people were saying she was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the crash and Stark denied operation of the vehicle.”

Stark allegedly told officers she had gotten in the vehicle at some point, but “got right back out and never drove it.”

Investigators, Berry said, located a residence in the 9700 block of Highway 51 with a surveillance camera, which had a video showing Stark walking away from the crash.

Stark was arrested at 6:16 p.m. Monday at her residence. She was booked at the Butler County jail, where she is being held on a $30,000 cash or surety bond.