Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) – A Walmart run turned into a criminal charge for a 67-year-old woman in Thief River Falls after a shocking hit-and-run incident on June 8.
Police responded at approximately 4:05 p.m. to a report of a hit and run in the Walmart parking lot. Surveillance footage allegedly showed a white SUV striking a parked vehicle before leaving the scene. Officers tracked the vehicle to its registered address.
There, Susan Lynn Ortloff appeared at the door with noticeable balance issues and had to be assisted by her husband. When questioned, Ortloff reportedly claimed she didn’t know why she left the scene. She denied consuming alcohol and claimed a medical condition affected her balance, though she gave no details.
Ortloff failed field sobriety tests and admitted to having been asleep before the officer’s arrival. A preliminary breath test showed a 0.24 BAC, and a second test at the Law Enforcement Center revealed a 0.25 BAC—over three times the legal limit.
Ortloff has been charged with third-degree DWI with one aggravating factor and collision with an unattended vehicle.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.