MILACA, Minnesota — For a high school senior, May is a time for celebration. Blayke Mostad, a senior at Milaca High School, is fighting for his life rather than preparing for prom or graduation.
“At this point, it’s day 23, and he’s still not breathing on his own; he’s still in critical condition,” said Blayke and Braxton’s sister, Baylie.
On April 9, Blayke, his younger brother Braxton, and one of their friends were struck by a wrong-way driver on Highway 10 in Clear Lake. All three were unharmed in the crash, but what happened next changed their lives forever.
“Looking back, I was like, oh, Blayke cops are already here. And he says, okay. And I was like, ‘Oh, he’s not slowing down,’ and I kind of don’t remember anything after that,” said Braxton, who spoke for the first time on camera about the incident that night.
A state trooper arriving to investigate the accident collided with the brothers who were standing outside their truck. According to the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, who is investigating the incident, state trooper Ryan Moeser was driving in the left lane on Highway 10 when he saw the crash and was “unable to avoid a collision.”
Braxton claims it took the trooper three to five minutes to arrive on the scene, so he and his family don’t understand how the trooper was unable to avoid hitting them.
“Blake was in the left lane, I was in the left lane, like kind of in the shoulder, so I don’t know how he couldn’t have missed us,” Braxton went on.
“Somebody that should be there to help and protect them is the one that caused the most damage,” Baylie claimed.
Blayke is recovering from his 15th surgery, which resulted in severe spine, brain, and leg injuries. Braxton sustained a lacerated eye and torn ACL.
“Our brother is the strongest kid we know, so he’s been doing the best that he can, and we have faith in him,” Baylie told me.
Those final celebratory moments for a high school senior are taken away from the family in the blink of an eye.
“Each one of these big moments is going to be extremely hard for our family,” Baylie told me. “We should be watching Blayke at prom tomorrow and we won’t be able to do that, and we should be watching him graduate, and we’re not going to be able to do that.”
Blayke currently has a trach in his throat, so he can’t speak, but Baylie says he can mouth words and shake his head. He recently mouthed ‘I love you’ to his family.
State Trooper Ryan Moeser is currently on paid administrative leave. In a statement to KARE 11, the Minnesota State Patrol said, “Our thoughts are with those affected, and we recognize the profound impact this has on everyone involved.”
The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office says the case has not yet been sent to the county attorney’s office for review of any criminal charges.