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5 year old dies after Lake Elmo crash
Morgan Peterson died after her family’s car stalled in Lake Elmo and was rear-ended.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. — A 5-year-old girl died after she was in a car crash with her family in Lake Elmo Saturday.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported that around 9 p.m., 5-year-old Morgan Peterson was in a Ford Focus with driver Christopher Peterson, 43, and Mason Peterson, 10. The Ford stalled in the left lane of traffic on eastbound Highway 36 at Lake Elmo Ave., and a Nissan Pathfinder crashed into the back of it at highway speeds.
A GoFundMe for Morgan said that Christopher suffered a concussion and mild head injury and Mason was okay. However, Morgan died from a broken neck and brain injuries, according to the post.
“Morgan was the brightest light in every room. At 5 years old, she was the boss of everyone and she knew it,” the GoFundMe said. “She loved to sing, dance, play with her dolls, and was very spunky, outgoing, funny and energetic.”
The GoFundMe is to give the girl a proper funeral, as well as pay for medical bills and support time off to grieve. The family is from St. Paul. By Monday morning, the campaign raised more than $7,000 of the $25,000 goal.
The driver of the Nissan, age 47 of St. Paul, received non-life-threatening injuries. All four were taken to Regions Hospital for treatment.
The State Patrol reported that it is unknown at this time if alcohol was involved with the Nissan driver.
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Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
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The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
Meantime, you can bone up on Seasons 1-7 streaming now on Netflix.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
