Woman struck, killed in Clearwater County leaves behind 3 children

By Matt Henson

September 13, 2019 at 9:06 AM

BAGLEY, Minn. — A woman is dead after a vehicle struck her while she was lying on a road Thursday, Sept. 12, according to the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office.

The victim was identified as Emily Ann Stevens, 28, of the Rice Lake area in Clearwater County. Her older sister said Stevens leaves behind a boyfriend and three young children — two who have autism.

“It’s a shock and hard to believe and I don’t know how to cope,” Tessa Stevens said. “The kids are already asking: ‘Where's mommy?’ “

Reports from drivers began coming in at 8:19 p.m. about a woman walking along 340th Street, west of the Bagley Shooting Star Casino.

A family member said it was a rare night out for her younger sister, who was having drinks with friends at the casino. Emily Stevens left the casino around 8 p.m. for reasons that are not yet entirely clear. It’s also not yet clear how much Stevens had to drink.

“We just want answers about what happened so we can put my sister to rest,” said Tessa Stevens, who says she spoke with her younger sister on the phone just three hours before her death.

Shortly after Emily Stevens left the casino, dispatchers started getting reports of a person walking on the highway.

The first caller was concerned because they said the person was walking partially in the traffic lane. A sheriff's deputy responded to the call, and while en route a second person called reporting the same information.

When the deputy arrived in the area, he reportedly observed a vehicle driving slowly and then pull off to the side of the road, the sheriff's office said.

The deputy stopped to speak to the driver, who said they thought they had just hit something in the road, possibly a deer. Authorities discovered the vehicle had struck Stevens, who had been lying in the road, the sheriff's office said. The driver's name was not released.

Lifesaving measures were performed on her, and she was taken by ambulance but later died from her injuries. The sheriff’s office is investigating the matter and asks anyone who was in the area Thursday night to reach out to authorities.

By Matt Henson

Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years. He was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and attended college at Lyndon State College in northern Vermont, where he was recognized twice nationally, including first place, by the National Academy for Arts and Science for television production. Matt enjoys being a voice for the little guy. He focuses on crimes and courts and investigative stories. Just as often, he shares tear-jerking stories and stories of accomplishment. Matt enjoys traveling to small towns across North Dakota and Minnesota to share their stories. He can be reached at mhenson@wday.com and at 610-639-9215. When he's not at work (rare) Matt resides in Moorhead and enjoys spending time with his daughter, golfing and attending Bison and Sioux games.