ONAMIA — Authorities released further details of how a 6-year-old Onamia girl was struck and killed Thursday, Jan. 13, on Highway 169 in Mille Lacs County.
The girl, Unique Sincere Beaulieu, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities responded to the fatal incident reported at 10:45 p.m. in Kathio Township, north of Onamia.
According to the Mille Lacs County sheriff:
The incident took place adjacent to the Mino Bimaadiziwin , a transitional housing facility for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, that looks to provide a path to sobriety, self-sufficiency and “a good life” — the meaning of the Ojibwe phrase “Mino Bimaadiziwin.”
Shortly before the accident, Unique and her mother left their room and went to a back door to take out the trash.
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After reviewing the surveillance video, investigators leamed the mother went outside to the garbage cans and Unique stayed inside the doorway.
While her mother was outside, Unique walked back into the building and attempted to get into another room. It appeared from the video that the door was locked and she was not able to enter that room.
From there Unique begins to walk the halls and appears to be calling for her mother. After a few moments, Unique walks out of the front door of the Mino Bimaadiziwin at the same time her mother reenters through the back door after taking out the trash.
Unique appears to walk towards the garbage dumpster area, presumably in search of her mother while simultaneously the mother is inside checking the halls for her.
After a few more moments pass, Unique is seen walking down the driveway entrance of the Mino Bimaadiziwin towards Highway 169 where she was fatally struck.
"This incident is a horrible tragedy for all involved and our hearts go out to the family of Unique Sincere Beaulieu, the driver of the vehicle and the first responders who responded to the scene," the Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
