Lake Elmo, MN, is grappling with a profound loss after a devastating crash on Highway 36 claimed the life of a 5-year-old girl when a 47-year-old St. Paul man slammed his SUV into a stalled car carrying the child and her family on Saturday. The collision, occurring at highway speeds on eastbound Highway 36 at Lake Elmo Avenue, resulted in life-threatening injuries to Morgan Rae Peterson, who later died, whereas the two other passengers, her father and brother, sustained less serious injuries.
Details emerging from both a CBS News and Hoodline report suggest that the driver of the Pathfinder, the vehicle that hit the stalled car, may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident and while he was taken to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a warrant was filed for his blood sample after he was reported to have smelled of alcohol, he admitted to consuming two beers "earlier" but no charges have been filed as of yet.
Morgan Rae Peterson was remembered for the joy she brought to those around her, with her family describing her as "the brightest light in every room" and "one of a kind" in a heartfelt GoFundMe campaign created to help them through this difficult time tragically, she sustained a broken neck and severe brain trauma leading to her death, while her father, 43-year-old Chris Petersen, and brother, were also in the car they were reportedly not wearing seatbelts, although Morgan was properly restrained
The local community is coming to terms with the sudden financial burden faced by Morgan's family, as the GoFundMe campaign aims to assist with expenses incurred during such an abrupt and unforeseeable tragedy according to a statement obtained by Hoodline, the road was dry at the time of the crash, meanwhile, as investigators continue to work on reconstructing the accident circumstances, and the intersection was closed for a period on Saturday night, the Minnesota State Patrol has been at the forefront of the ongoing investigation.
