5-year-old St. Paul girl dies from injuries in Lake Elmo crash
LAKE ELMO, Minn. — A 5-year-old girl has died from injuries suffered in a crash on a highway in the east metro over the weekend.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, on Saturday shortly before 9 p.m., a car was stalled in the left lane of eastbound Highway 36 at Lake Elmo Avenue in Lake Elmo. Another driver hit the vehicle from behind while traveling at "highway speeds," the patrol said.
There were two children in the stalled vehicle, a 5-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, according to the patrol. A 43-year-old man from St. Paul was driving the vehicle. The girl suffered life-threatening injuries, the patrol said, while the injuries to the other two were less serious. All three were taken to Regions Hospital.
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On Monday, the state patrol confirmed that the girl died from her injuries. She was identified by the patrol as Morgan Rae Petersen.
According to the state patrol, the girl was the only one in the vehicle who had a seat belt on.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 47-year-old St. Paul man, was its sole occupant. He suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was also taken to Regions Hospital. He was wearing a seat belt.
Chris Petersen says he is still coming to grips with the loss of his daughter, Morgan.
He says he'll remember how she loved to dress up, sing and dance, and had a special place in her heart for the Grinch.
"Five years old and she had a whole life to live ahead of her. If I could trade places with her, I would do it in a second. I'm in my 40s, I've lived enough of my life. She didn't get to experience it. I'm never going to see her graduate. Or have kids or be a grandfather to her kids. It's really hard," said Petersen.
Petersen says Morgan was always reminding him of the importance of doing good deeds to help others.
"She had such a big heart. This is a little girl that we'd go driving and we'd be on our way somewhere, and if there was a homeless person on the side of the street where there was a sign, if I did not stop and give this person a dollar, she was tapping my shoulder... 'They are homeless. They are outside and they are cold, Dad. You have to do something. You have to help them. They need help,'" Petersen said.
The Petersens now find themselves in need of help to cover Morgan's burial, their family medical bills and other costs. As of 5 p.m. Monday, an online fundraiser has raised over $15,000 toward a $25,000 goal.
