4 killed, 1 with life-threatening injuries in crash near Lake Mille Lacs, state patrol says

The Minnesota State Patrol says four people are dead and one person is fighting for their life in a crash that happened Wednesday evening near the shores of Lake Mille Lacs in east-central Minnesota.

The collision occurred just before 7 p.m. on Highway 169 and Shakopee Lake Road, about 3.5 miles southeast of Grand Casino Mille Lacs.

According to the state patrol incident report, a Buick LeSabre crossed the center line and hit a Saab sedan. Five people were involved in the crash, and at least one person wasn't wearing their seat belt, according to the report. 

Samantha Ajax, a 21-year-old Isle woman, was the sole passenger in the Buick, while four people were in the Saab: 53-year-old Michelle Rock and 51-year-old James Ortley, both from Minneapolis, and 41-year-old Christopher Boswell and 25-year-old Jessica Mitchell, both from Onamia. 

"There was a firefighter that was off duty that had showed up afterwards, and he told my husband that's the worst wreck he's seen in 19 years," said Amy Christy, who got to the scene before any first responders. 

She saw a woman moving in the back of the car and went to go and help her. It was Mitchell who was the only survivor of the crash.

"I held her hand the whole time trying to get her to say her name," said Christy. "I was just trying to keep her awake as long as, you know, as much as I could."

Mitchell's family said she's doing alright, all things considered. She had emergency surgery Wednesday night for internal bleeding. 

Ajax's father says his family is grieving, and their new reality has yet to set in.

Christy said she stopped to help because she knew it was the right thing to do.

"Not something anybody wants to do, but you know, I'd want somebody to stop and help my family," she said.