Police: Millmont driver hits building, lies to police and insurance company

Nov. 2—MIFFLINBURG — A Millmont woman believed to have been drunk when she backed into a Chestnut Street building in Mifflinburg lied to police and her car insurance company about the nature of the damage to her vehicle, according to the Mifflinburg Police Department.

Heather Lynn Klose, 52, of Route 235, Millmont, was charged with a felony count of insurance fraud; a misdemeanor count of false reports to law enforcement; and four related summary offenses. The charges were filed by Mifflinburg Police Department Detective Jackson Dylan Stroup in the Mifflinburg office of District Judge Jeffrey Mensch.

Klose came to the borough police station at 9:50 a.m. June 29 to give a report of another incident on June 28. While the first incident, Klose said she parked in the parking lot of First Evangelical Lutheran Church on Market Street where someone backed into the rear of her red 2015 Nissan Altima, causing damage, police said.

Police said Klose was intoxicated at the first incident and had a strong odor of alcohol. Dylan Wagner, a traffic controller, witnessed a red Nissan back into a building at 407 Chestnut St., police said.

"Within approximately the first five minutes of conducting traffic control at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Fourth Street, he (Wagner) heard a loud noise that sounded like a vehicle crash," police reported. "That was when Wagner observed the vehicle which had backed into the building."

On July 5, police received a letter from Erie Insurance asking about a hit-and-run claim from Klose. After police informed the agency of the details of the case, the insurance agency followed up to request for insurance fraud charges to be filed, police said.

On Aug. 14, Erie sent police a copy of Klose's insurance claim, which included an electronic payment for a total lost equalling $3,558.62. The windshield was replaced as part of the insurance claim, but police were never told by Klose that this damage, police said.

Klose was arraigned on Oct. 25 and bail was set at $4,000 unsecured. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 27 in front of Mensch.

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