A Bowling Green woman suspected of driving from the scene after fatally striking a pedestrian made her first court appearance Monday.

Marlynn Elias is in Warren County Regional Jail on charges of leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid or assistance with death or serious physical injury and no operator’s license, all stemming from an arrest Saturday night.

Elias, 48, is accused of being behind the wheel of an SUV that struck Kimberly Howard, 69, of Bowling Green, Saturday in the 100 block of Riverwood Avenue.

Howard was taken to The Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Elias was booked early Sunday into Warren County Regional Jail under a $25,000 cash bond, and was set to appear Monday in Warren District Court for arraignment.

Warren District Judge Kim Geoghegan entered a not guilty plea on Elias’ behalf and appointed a public defender to represent her.

Elias will return to court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

According to an arrest citation, the Bowling Green Police Department was dispatched at 7:08 p.m. Saturday to Riverwood Avenue after a caller reported that a woman was lying in the road and appeared to be unresponsive.

City police spoke with residents in the area, including one who reported hearing a thud and seeing a red or maroon Explorer SUV driving down the street, and then later seeing Howard lying in the road.

“The witness stated she made contact with the driver of the vehicle and asked if she just ran (Howard) over, to which the driver responded ‘yes, I ran her over,’ ” Elias’ arrest citation said.

At 8:39 p.m. Saturday, police were notified that Elias arrived at the scene and claimed to have been the driver of the vehicle.

After being advised of her rights, Elias told police that she encountered Howard standing in the road as she was driving.

Elias reportedly told police she stopped her vehicle after “(Howard) began to hit the vehicle.”

“Elias advised there was a short verbal argument between the two, and then she left the scene,” BGPD Detective Matthew Poore stated in Elias’ arrest citation. “Elias advised that a lady stopped her a few houses down and asked her if she had hit the victim, and she stated no.”

According to the arrest citation, Elias recalled seeing Howard lying in the road when she looked back, then she dropped off the passengers in her vehicle and spoke to her husband about what had happened.

“Elias advised that after speaking with her husband, she felt bad and returned to the scene,” Poore stated in the arrest citation. “When I asked Elias why she left, she stated she did not have a license and was scared of getting arrested and the vehicle being taken.”