Messages on the day of a fatal collision were deleted from the cellphone of a motorist who has now been cited in connection with the crash, according to forensic analysis of the phone that the driver kept for weeks afterward.
Heidi L. Butau, 45, of Braham, Minn., was charged Monday in Chisago County District Court with one offense, a misdemeanor for failing to obey a stop sign northeast of Cambridge on Dec. 10 before her car struck the one being driven by 75-year-old John C. Ploetz, of nearby Harris.
If convicted, Butau's maximum sentence would be 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Butau was charged by summons. She did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.
Butau has been convicted in Minnesota eight times for speeding, twice for driving with a suspended license, twice for having expired vehicle tabs and once for running a stop sign. Her license was valid on the day of the crash and remains so, the state Department of Public Safety said.
She also has been convicted at least twice for texting while driving, most recently on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis on Nov. 16, 3½ weeks before the fatal collision. In that case, she was "clearly distracted and [had her] eyes off the road" while looking up a phone number, according to the State Patrol citation.
On the day of the crash, Butau told a sheriff's deputy at the scene that all she remembered was driving on Acacia Trail and "then the crash occurred" at Stark Road, the criminal complaint read.
A day later, Butau "adamantly denied using a cellphone" or being distracted, the complaint continued. She volunteered that she called her daughter shortly before the crash, then placed the phone in a pocket or vehicle storage area, where it remained until after the collision, an additional court filing read.
