Burnsville Woman Sentenced for Felony DWI and Criminal Vehicular Operation Following January Hit-and-Run Crash
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA – A Burnsville woman with multiple prior DWI convictions has been sentenced in Dakota County District Court after pleading guilty to a felony count of First-Degree Driving While Impaired (Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance) and a gross misdemeanor count of Criminal Vehicular Operation Resulting in Bodily Harm.
According to court records, Charity Renee Harris, 40, of Burnsville, was sentenced on August 20, 2025, in connection with a January 16, 2025, crash that left another driver injured and led to a hit-and-run investigation in Burnsville.
Incident Details
According to court documents, Burnsville Police were dispatched around 10:51 a.m. on January 16th to a reported hit-and-run collision at a Burnsville intersection. The victim told officers his vehicle had been struck by a gold Chrysler 500 that left the scene. He sustained an injury to his hand and was later transported to the hospital, where he was treated for wrist and shoulder pain.
Officers located the suspect vehicle shortly after in Savage, Minnesota. It was being driven on a damaged tire, and the driver, identified as Charity Harris, appeared confused and disoriented. Harris denied knowing she had been in a crash and failed field sobriety tests. A certified Drug Recognition Evaluator determined she was under the influence of a central nervous system depressant, a narcotic analgesic, and cannabis. Harris later admitted to consuming Xanax, Suboxone, and marijuana that day.
Dash camera footage from the victim’s vehicle showed Harris turning out in front of the victim’s car without yielding, causing the collision. The victim was 80% certain that Harris was the driver who fled the scene.
Prior DWI History
Court records show that Harris had three prior impaired driving incidents, including:
A license revocation in March 2018 for a DWI offense.
A misdemeanor DWI conviction in March 2021.
A gross misdemeanor DWI conviction in August 2024.
At the time of the January crash, Harris was still on probation for her most recent conviction.
Sentencing Details
Judge Vicki Taylor sentenced Harris to 36 months in prison at the Minnesota Correctional Facility–Shakopee for the felony DWI conviction. The prison sentence was stayed for five years, contingent on successful completion of probation sentencing.
Harris was also ordered to serve 180 days in the Dakota County Jail, with 69 days of credit for time served, beginning today, October 22, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. She will remain under supervised probation for five years, monitored by Dakota County Community Corrections, as part of her sentencing.
The court also reserved restitution for one year to allow for assessment of the victim’s economic losses. In addition to the jail sentence, Harris must pay $90 in remaining court fees, attend all required evaluations, and comply with ongoing monitoring and polygraph examinations as directed by probation officials.
Case Outcome
Count 1: First-Degree DWI (Under the Influence of Controlled Substance, Three or More Priors) — Convicted
Count 2: Criminal Vehicular Operation Resulting in Bodily Harm (Negligence and Under the Influence) — Convicted
Count 3: Criminal Vehicular Operation Resulting in Bodily Harm (Leaving the Scene) — Dismissed
Provided by Dakota County Jail.
Written by: Will Wight
