photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center is pictured on Sept. 4, 2024.

A woman accused in a March hit-and-run that killed a dog and critically injured its owner has applied for a diversion in the case.

Lasean Dixon, of Lawrence, made her first court appearance in September on a felony charge of leaving the scene of an injury accident, and she appeared again on Wednesday, when her attorney, Jessica Glendening, told the court that her client had filed a diversion application with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office and was awaiting a response.

As the Journal-World reported, a 74-year-old woman and her dog were crossing the street at the intersection of East 23rd Street and Barker Avenue just before 8 a.m. on March 18 and were struck by a car that left the scene. The dog died, and the critically injured woman was taken to a trauma center with a broken leg and other injuries.

In an affidavit describing the reasons for Dixon’s arrest, police, with the help of traffic cameras, alleged that Dixon lied to them about her actions that day, as the Journal-World reported. They said she even used a false name to report false information about the accident. After denying that she had anything to do with it, she eventually admitted some involvement after police saw her car in the garage and observed that it had a scuffed front bumper with a blood stain and dog hair on it, as well as a damaged passenger side mirror, according to the affidavit.

Dixon then apologized for lying and said she had told the lies because she had kids and was afraid of going to prison. She maintained, however, that the light was green when she entered the intersection, although other witnesses told police it was red. Allegations in arrest affidavits have not been proved in court.

A diversion, if approved by the court, allows an eligible defendant to be “diverted” from the normal path in the criminal justice system. Usually, diversion agreements require a defendant to complete specific actions, such as taking a class, getting counseling or paying restitution; if they successfully complete the diversion program, the case against them is dismissed and does not appear on their record.

Dixon’s next court appearance is Nov. 20.