Driver Charged in Fatal Bike Crash

GLENCOE (AP) - Investigators say the death of a bicyclist who was struck by a car in McLeod County is the result of distracted driving.

A 25-year-old Prior Lake woman is facing three criminal charges as a result of the accident that killed 40-year-old Penny Verdeck of Glencoe last April. A digital forensic expert from the state Department of Criminal Apprehension examined the driver's phone records and found there were text messages less than a minute before Verdeck was hit.

The driver is due in court later this month.

Distracted driving is cited as a cause in 60 deaths and 225 serious injuries per year in Minnesota.