2 Teens Critically Injured After Driver Strikes Tree Head-On
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Two teenagers suffered critical injuries after a pickup truck carrying them and four others left a Stearns County roadway Saturday and struck a large tree head-on. Authorities say the 17-year-old driver had been drinking.
According to authorities, the driver was traveling westbound on 400th Street at 215th Avenue in Krain Township when he left the road and struck the tree. The driver called 911 to report the crash with injuries.
An 18-year-old passenger sitting in the backseat of the truck airlifted from the scene to North Memorial Hospital, and a 17-year-old passenger who was sitting in the front seat was airlifted to Hennepin Healthcare. As of Sunday evening, the two passengers were in critical but stable condition.
The four other occupants of the vehicle – including the driver, an 18-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old – were treated at St. Cloud Hospital for their injuries and released Saturday evening.
According to investigators, a preliminary breath test showed the driver had been drinking. Further alcohol testing will occur with a blood sample from the driver.