State Patrol seeks public's help to solve hit-and-run that killed Minnesota 10-year-old

Anyone with information about a hit-and-run crash that killed a 10-year-old girl in Aitkin County Friday night should contact authorities, the Minnesota State Patrol said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Caylin Donovan of Lake Park, Minn. was struck and killed just before 8 p.m. as she walked along a road on Hwy. 18 about 10 miles from Garrison in the Lake Mille Lacs area.

The State patrol is asking for the public's help in locating a vehicle that may be linked to the incident. It may be possible the driver did not know they were involved in an accident, the patrol said.

"Investigators would like to talk to the driver of a white Ford pickup pulling a white fifth-wheel camper with black trim who was in the area and may have witnessed the crash," the patrol said in a news release.

Col. Matt Langer, chief of the State Patrol, said in the afternoon news conference that any information could help solve the case and help Donovan's family figure out what happened to her.

"Help us solve what occurred," Langer said. "The most insignificant detail could be the most vital to this case."

Langer said the 10-year-old was visiting family in the area and was out on the road to get a better cellphone signal.

"We have no knowledge of any witnesses," Langer said. Several people heard the accident and called authorities immediately after the crash, he added.

To the driver involved in the crash, Langer asks them to not to be afraid.

"We just want you to come forward," he said. "We want to solve this case for her family."

According to the online PoliceClips site, the vehicle involved did not slow or stop after hitting Caylin. She died at the scene.

The patrol is being assisted by the Aitkin County Sheriff's Office and the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647