St. Cloud Man Pleads Guilty to Charge Stemming From Hit and Run

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A St. Cloud man charged in a hit-and-run crash and felony drug possession has pleaded guilty to charges in both cases.

Forty-one-year-old Todd Chauvin has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm while under the influence of a controlled substance and one count of 2nd-degree drug possession.

The crash happened at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 4th Street South in February 2024. According to the criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court, Chauvin ran a stop sign, collided with another car, and fled the scene.

The crash injured two people and sent them to the hospital.

Officers found and arrested Chauvin, who allegedly admitted to being involved in the crash and leaving the scene to chase after his dog. A blood test determined Chauvin had THC and fentanyl in his system at the time of the crash.

Then, on a day in June, an undercover informant notified authorities that Chauvin was heading to the Twin Cities for a drug buy. Police spotted Chauvin on University Drive later that day and made a traffic stop.

Because he was driving without a valid license, Chauvin was brought to the Stearns County Jail, where a scan revealed a foreign object in Chauvin's groin area. A subsequent search allegedly turned up fentanyl and 38 blue pills believed to contain fentanyl.

Court records indicate Chauvin will be sentenced to just under two years in prison when he's sentenced in August.