Driver hits, kills woman who fell in St. Paul street

A woman who witnesses say had fallen in the street was killed Tuesday evening in St. Paul after a teenage driver hit her.

According to the St. Paul Police Department, officers responded to a report of a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian around 6 p.m. at the intersection of George Street West and South Stryker Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found a woman, identified as Karina Renee Chosa, who appeared to be in her 30s, had been struck by a vehicle and was lying just east of the intersection. Medics took Chosa to Regions Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Witnesses told police they saw Chosa fall down in the middle of the street and they stopped their car to get out and help her. While they were trying to assist her, a driver headed westbound approached the intersection — he had a green light and did not appear to be slowing down.

The group of people who had been helping the woman moved out of the way when it became clear the driver wasn’t going to stop, and that’s when the driver struck the Chosa who was still lying in the street.

Police say the driver, a 16-year-old boy from St. Paul, then stopped and called 911. The driver had a valid drivers license, did not appear to be impaired and cooperated with investigators.

No arrests or citations have been issued, police stated.