HAZEN - An elderly Hazen man died of injuries sustained when the electric wheelchair cart he was riding across a downtown intersection was struck by a teenage driver Saturday.

Edwin Mattheis, 82, died of apparent head injuries after being transferred to a Bismarck hospital, although no autopsy will be performed, said Hazen Police Chief Chuck Dahl.

Rachel Davidson, 18, the driver, has been cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian, Dahl said.

The incident occurred at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

Mattheis was about two-thirds across the crosswalk going north when Davidson, who had stopped, proceeded across the four-way intersection and struck him, Dahl said.

Dahl said Mattheis was thrown nearly 50 feet, about twice as far as his four-wheeled cart, from the intersection.

Davidson was alone in her vehicle, a 2001 two-door Toyota, and was apparently distracted by looking for friends in another vehicle, Dahl said. She is a high school senior.

Mattheis was a longtime employee of the city public works department and a former member of the Hazen City Commission. He also was a private businessman.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Peace Lutheran Church in Hazen, where he had formerly served on the church council.

- Lauren Donovan