Woman ordered to pay $706 in Colfax hit-and-run case

Oct. 18--MENOMONIE -- A Dunn County judge Tuesday ordered a 38-year-old Colfax woman whose car struck a pedestrian last December in the village of Colfax to reimburse $706 for mileage to medical appointments.

Jami A. Golden was driving a car that struck Linda Salazar, 70, of Colfax, who co-owns Mom's on Main Cafe, around 5:30 a.m. Dec. 9.

Judge Rod Smeltzer determined that under the plea agreement for Golden, she did not have to pay restitution for medical bills and lost wages covered by the state Crime Victim Compensation fund.

Assistant district attorney Andrew Maki had requested Golden be ordered to pay $16,526 to repay the crime victim fund that paid for $10,573 in lost wages and $5,953 in medical bills not covered by insurance.

Defense lawyer Kerry Kelm pointed out there was a GoFundMe page that raised about $10,000 for Salazar. Kelm did agree Golden would pay the medical appointment mileage.

"Usually it doesn't work out that a victim is compensated to the degree as at least I am being told," Smeltzer said. "I am happy that worked out in a positive way."

Golden pleaded no contest to the charge of recklessly endangering safety in May. As part of a plea agreement, a charge of felony hit-and-run was dismissed.

Salazar had 10 broken ribs, as well as a broken arm, a leg, pelvis and an ankle, an++d multiple internal injuries.

According to the criminal complaint:

A witness saw a southbound car strike something on Main Street and Fifth Avenue and then saw it was Salazar.

Golden told police she thought she struck an animal such as a deer and continued on to work in Colfax. She then realized it may have been a person, so she returned to the scene.

She reported her windows were fogged up on the car, but she did have a spot out of which she could see. She was going about 30 to 35 mph.

Contact: 715-556-9018, [email protected], @MenomonieBureau on Twitter

___

(c)2017 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)

Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.