By Chris Post / Editor-In-Chief

The criminal case against the woman accused of striking a Missouri Valley University student in a campus crosswalk is moving to the next stage after she waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

Kelsey Nicole Chalfant waived the hearing Sept. 23 in Saline County Circuit Court. The court ordered the case transferred for further proceedings and directed Chalfant to appear Oct. 15 at 11 a.m., according to court documents.

Chalfant, 27, of Sedalia, is charged with second-degree assault, driving while intoxicated resulting in serious physical injury and careless and imprudent driving involving an accident. The charges stem from the Aug. 10 collision that critically injured Missouri Valley student Julian Marøy.

Marøy, a member of the men’s soccer program, was struck while walking through a marked crosswalk on Morrow Street near Conway Avenue. The Missouri Valley Delta reported following the crash that Marøy was treated at the scene before being flown to Columbia for treatment.

The latest court action follows an unsuccessful attempt by Chalfant to leave jail temporarily to enter an inpatient treatment program.

Chalfant’s attorney filed a motion Sept. 7 asking the court to grant her a furlough so she could attend a 30-day inpatient treatment program at the McCambridge Women & Children’s Center in Columbia. The motion said Chalfant had been accepted into the program and was scheduled to begin treatment Sept. 23. Her grandmother had agreed to provide transportation to and from the facility.

Judge William Page Bellamy denied the request Sept. 16. In his written findings, Bellamy concluded that the weight of the evidence against Chalfant appeared substantial.

The judge also noted the state’s assertion that Chalfant had previously been involved in three vehicle crashes resulting in injuries to others, including a 2019 DWI case in Pettis County. Court records cited in the findings show Chalfant was previously convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor DWI in Pettis County in 2019. She received a four-year suspended sentence and five years of probation on the drug conviction and 10 days in jail on the DWI conviction.

Bellamy found that the state had presented clear and convincing evidence that conditions of release would not adequately protect the community and denied the furlough request.

The Sept. 23 waiver means prosecutors will not have to present evidence at a preliminary hearing to establish probable cause before the case moves forward. Chalfant instead agreed to have the charges bound over for further proceedings.

A certificate filed the same day shows the case file and original documents were transferred to Division 6 of the Saline County Circuit Court.

The case has drawn attention beyond the criminal proceedings because of concerns about pedestrian safety around Missouri Valley.

Morrow Street separates the main campus from the Burns Athletic Complex but is also Missouri Route WW, placing much of the roadway under the control of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Following the collision, Marshall City Administrator J.D. Kehrman told the Delta that city and university officials had been seeking improvements to the Morrow Street crossings for years. Kehrman said the crash created renewed pressure for action.

The speed limit was later reduced to 15 mph on designated portions of Morrow Street, Redman Avenue, College Street and Conway Avenue surrounding the university. Marshall Police began enforcing the lower limits Sept. 1.

Marshall officials are now considering longer-term changes. The city has applied for funding for a comprehensive pedestrian study that could eventually support improvements including raised crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands and additional lighting. The Delta reported last week that the city hopes to work with Missouri Valley and MoDOT on more permanent safety improvements.

Chalfant has not been convicted of the charges arising from the Aug. 10 collision and remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.