Saint Paul, MN : Eveleth woman charged in fatal crash on Monday, December, 18th 2017

An Eveleth woman has been charged with three misdemeanors in connection with a fatal crash involving a well-known Iron Range car dealer.

Niomi Cheyenne Boulanger, 19, is accused of careless driving, failure to yield and driving without insurance in the August collision that killed 60-year-old Donald Hilligoss of Cohasset.

Authorities said Hilligoss was riding his motorcycle west on State Highway 37 when Boulanger, traveling in the opposite direction, turned in front of him. His motorcycle struck the front of her Hyundai Sonata, throwing him a significant distance, according to a criminal complaint.

Hilligoss, owner of Ranger GM in Hibbing, Grand Rapids GM and Mike Motors in Ely, and part-owner of Ford of Hibbing, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Boulanger allegedly told police that she thought Hilligoss was going to turn, leading her to believe it was safe for her to do the same. Authorities said there no indications that weather, alcohol or drugs, distracted driving or mechanical issues contributed to the crash.

"This crash happened because Niomi Boulanger was operating her vehicle in a careless manner and failing to yield the right away to Donald Hilligoss while making a lefthand turn," the Minnesota State Patrol concluded in its crash investigation and reconstruction report.

Boulanger has been summoned to appear in State District Court in Virginia on Jan. 5.

According to the complaint:

The crash was reported around 2 p.m. Aug. 29 at the intersection of State Highway 37 and County Road 7 in Clinton Township, southwest of Eveleth.

Responding troopers noted that Hilligoss' motorcycle appeared to have struck the front right corner panel of Boulanger's car. Hilligoss was found unresponsive "quite a distance from the initial crash."

Boulanger told deputies she was driving east on Highway 37 and preparing to make a left turn on County Road 7 when she encountered the motorcycle coming in the opposite direction. Boulanger said she made the turn, believing it would be safe, because it appeared Hilligoss also had his left turn signal activated.

A witness, however, reported that the motorcyclist did not have his turn signal illuminated. The witness, who was stopped in his vehicle on County Road 7, reported seeing Boulanger slow and turn directly in front of Hilligoss, causing him to strike her car and be thrown against the pavement.

Investigators said an inspection of Hilligoss' motorcycle appeared to confirm that the turn signal was not activated. Further, they said, there was evidence that he had applied the brakes in an effort to avoid the collision.

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Eveleth woman charged in fatal crash