Bail set for Mandan man charged in fatal hit-and-run near Valley City in December

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (KVRR/NEWSDAKOTA) — Bond is set at $30,000 cash for the Mandan man accused of hitting and killing a man walking along I-94 near Valley City in December.

22-year-old Garrett Kuntz made his initial court appearance on charges of manslaughter and duty in accident involving death.

North Dakota Highway Patrol got an anonymous tip linking Kuntz to the hit-and-run fatal crash that killed 27-year-old Jerson Mejia of Honduras.

The patrol found a part of his pickup’s bug shield in the ditch near the body.

A trooper had stopped and talked to Mejia on December 20 around 11 p.m. and he declined help.

A passerby noticed his body in the ditch the next afternoon.

If found guilty, Kuntz faces up to 10 years in prison.

His next court appearance is set for April 23 in Valley City.