Vehicular Homicide trial starts for Burt teenager

The trial opens this morning for a Burt teenager charged in the New Year’s Day hit-and-run death of 18-year-old A-J Preston of Ringsted. 18-year-old Delaine Pederson is charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident, resulting in death. Pederson and 19-year-old Nick Symonds were arrested in Kossuth County in January. They were allegedly driving the car that hit Preston near a farm. Symonds pleaded guilty last week to a variety of charges and will be sentenced in November. Symonds will testify against Pederson as part of a plea agreement.