A deadly traffic crash Wednesday morning in nearby Independence claimed the life of an 11-year-old youngster, while leaving five other people injured.
West Hennepin Public Safety reports that just before 8 AM Wednesday, a family in a GMC Acadia SUV was on the way to dropping children off at school when the crash occurred. Officials say the SUV was southbound on Hennepin County Road 83, and was stopped at a four-way stop. The vehicle then began to enter the intersection with Hennepin County Roads 6 and 110, when a GMC pickup reportedly ran the stop sign, colliding with the SUV.
Authorities say two adults, two 15-year-old males, an 11-year-old female, and a 4-year-old male in the SUV all sustained moderate to severe injuries and were taken to North Memorial Hospital. The 11-year-old was transferred to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis where she died as a result of her injuries.
The driver of the pickup truck is said to have been an 18-year-old male from St. Paul. A third driver, a 56-year-old man from Watertown who was driving a Ram pickup was also involved in the pileup.
The names of those involved, including the youngster who died in the crash have not been released. West Hennepin Public Safety has asked for respect for the family as grieve, and recover from their injuries.
The State Patrol, Minnetrista, Orono, Medina, and Plymouth Police Departments, the Maple Plain Fire Department, North Memorial EMS and the Hennepin County Crime Lab all assisted at the scene.
