Hopkins High School teen fighting for her life after getting hit by unlicensed driver
MINNETONKA, Minn. — A Minnesota teenager is fighting to recover after a typical drive took a terrifying turn.
A driver without a license slammed into Lauren Olson's SUV while she was heading home Tuesday afternoon.
Minnesota State Patrol says Olson was making a lefthanded turn off Highway 7 in Minnetonka when she was blindsided and struck by another vehicle. The crash was too violent to publish.
RELATED: 9 dead, 1 injured after a semi collided with a van in west-central Wisconsin
WCCO's Ubah Ali went to Hopkins High School to speak with Olson's lacrosse coach and varsity co-captains.
Avery Shaw, Tori Katzenmeyer and Ella Perry are still in disbelief.
"It was a normal day for her at the stop light going left to go relax at home when she got hit," Katzenmeyer said.
Three days later, evidence of that horrific crash is still there.
"It feels so unfair that this happened to her," said Shaw.
Witnesses say, the driver blew a red light. We also learned that the driver has a revoked license and at least 12 traffic convictions since 2014.
MORE NEWS: Minnesota's first cannabis growing facility is putting down roots near Grand Casino
In a CaringBridge update, after a few surgeries, Olson's family says she's still in an induced coma to let her brain heal.
As she continues to fight, Hopkins lacrosse coach Jonathan Smart says the team is doing everything they can to prepare for her return.
"Right now, it's how do we take care of the rest of the kids as we wait for one of our kids to join us back," Smart said.
Smart says the coaching staff and captains have been talking about ways to make sure Olson feels supported on and off the field. "When Lauren returns to us, we're going to have things in place," said Smart.
"We're going to be a lot stronger because of this and to do it for her, I know she's going to be with us," said Katzenmeyer.
WCCO also caught up with the man seen on video racing to help Olson just seconds after the crash. Moments later, a dozen other strangers come to help. They used a knife to cut Olson's airbags, and a crowbar to get her door open while doing whatever they could to comfort her.
Dan Griep was one of the first people on the scene who jumped into action. He says the intersection on Highway 7 where the accident occurred is a dangerous stretch of road and he's hopeful change will come.
"People drive very fast, the visibility's not very good, the lights and just how things go isn't really making a lot of sense to me," said Griep. "So hopefully the city or whomever decides to take a look at this and make some changes."
