Family, Friends Mourn After Teen Struck, Killed In Onamia

ONAMIA, Minn. (WCCO) -- A walk to a Friday night football game turned tragic in a small northern Minnesota community when a 14-year-old girl was hit and killed.

It happened Friday evening along 350th street in Onamia, which is near Mille Lacs, just off 169. A group of four teenagers went to a local convenience store to buy snacks. They left and were walking down 350th street to Onamia High School when a car hit Katelin Sawyer -- killing her.

"The sun was setting and this road is really blinding," said Tina Hart, a family friend of Sawyer, "It's just a really unfortunate accident."

Witnesses tell us she was knocked into her friend, but the other three teenagers were OK.

"Just like that life can be taken away," said Pat Braith, a community specialist with Onamia Schools. "We want the students to come together at school on Tuesday by wearing green. That was Katelin's favorite color."

Sawyer's friends tell us she was very well-liked and loved to play Volleyball.

The driver who hit Kaitlin stopped and called 911.

Moments after the crash, a deputy and EMT who just happened to be driving by, gave the Sawyer first aid, but it was too late.

The Mille Lacs County Sheriff's office is investigating, but does not think alcohol was involved.