# Mom pulling kids in wagon mowed down by distracted police chaplain

> Police chaplain admitted hitting 2-year-old girl while distracted by phone.
- Title: Mom pulling kids in wagon mowed down by distracted police…
- Summary: Police chaplain admitted hitting 2-year-old girl while distracted by phone. John Brecount, 65, admitted to causing a hit-and-run that seriously injured…
- Keywords: somaia kamawal, john brecount, eden prairie police department, minnesota, hit-and-run, traumatic brain injury, broken bones, lacerations, hospitalized, crime, news, Mom
- Source: Law & Crime — https://lawandcrime.com/crime/mom-pulling-kids-in-wagon-mowed-down-by-distracted-police-chaplain-who-heard-a-bump-and-thought-he-hit-a-sign
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: somaia kamawal, john brecount, eden prairie police department, minnesota, hit-and-run, traumatic brain injury, broken bones, lacerations, hospitalized, crime, news
## Hit-and-run crash
John Brecount, 65, admitted to causing a crash that resulted in great bodily harm on August 21, 2025.
## Injured child
Two-year-old Somaia Kamawal suffered traumatic brain injury, broken bones, and lacerations to her spleen and kidney.
## Family scene
Somaia and her sibling rode in a wagon pulled by their mother, Spogmai Kamawal, who also had two other children.
## Crash details
Kamawal and her four children were leaving Eden Prairie park around 8:30 p.m. on August 21, 2025.
## Chaplain's mistake
Brecount drove through without stopping after a driver let the family cross the street.
## Distracted driver
Brecount believed he clipped a pedestrian sign and damaged his rearview mirror.
## Phone distraction
Brecount was driving while checking his phone and reading a text from his wife when he heard a 'bump'.
## No emergency response
Brecount admitted he never stopped or called 911 after the crash.
## Cellphone evidence
Police confirmed Brecount was using his phone at the time of the crash through cellphone data and surveillance video.
## Guilty plea
Brecount entered his guilty plea on October 5, 2026, for causing great bodily harm and leaving the scene.
## Hospitalization
Somaia was hospitalized for more than a month due to her injuries.
## Next hearing
Brecount's next hearing is scheduled for December 7, 2026.
## Chaplain's admission
Brecount told police he thought he hit something after hearing a 'bump' and believed he clipped a sign.
## Consequence
Brecount faces potential jail time for causing serious injury to a child.
## Key takeaway

John Brecount, 65, admitted to causing a hit-and-run that seriously injured 2-year-old Somaia Kamawal in Eden Prairie, Minnesota on August 21, 2025.