Two 17-year-old boys dead, third injured in crash in Big Lake
BIG LAKE, Minn. — Two 17-year-old boys are dead and a third 17-year-old has life-threatening injuries after a crash in Big Lake early Saturday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol says that an officer with the Big Lake Police Department was driving on Highway 25 and saw a BMW going the opposite direction well over the speed limit.
The officer then turned around in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. The officer came upon a crash and saw the BMW had left the roadway and rolled.
The state patrol identified the two deceased teens as Anthony Krider and Donovan Gobel. Both died at the scene. The surviving teen was identified as Charles Gabrelcik. All three boys are from Elk River.
Krider was driving the vehicle, according to the patrol.
A family member of Gabrelcik told WCCO he will require neck surgery in the next couple of days and, as of Sunday, cannot yet breathe on his own.
The crash is under investigation.
Community members mourn
A memorial now marks the spot where the two teens lost their lives, and a third teen is left fighting for his.
"We set up some crosses in case family members and friends wanted to visit," said neighbor Ashley Wannebo-Perron.
Wannebo-Perron lives just a few houses away from where the crash happened.
"I immediately ran over to my neighbor's house and I found out that three kids hit his tree, which blocked from hitting his house," said Wannebo-Perron. "He had his nephews with him and that tree saved their lives."
Friends and family gathered at the site Sunday afternoon.
"He loved fast things, he loved to be out with his friends," said Tessa Steindl.
Steindl is friends with Donovan Gobel's mother.
"I've watched Donovan grow up since he was about one-and-a-half or two," said Steindl.
She's started an online fundraiser for the Gobel family.
"Donovan was a fun-loving, caring 17-year-old kid, just like every kid out there," said Steindl.
Another victim, Charles Gabrelcik is starting to wake up after the crash, his uncle said. However, Gabrelcik will be a quadriplegic if he makes it through, according to the uncle.
Speeding and aggressive driving is a problem on Highway 25 in Big Lake where the crash happened, Wannebo-Perron said, even while mothers of the victims have been on site mourning.
"I had moments where drivers would flip me off and rev their engines and speed by," said Wannebo-Perron. "The mothers just looked at me just, they were shocked, I said, 'Yeah welcome to Highway 25.'"
Steindl has these words for parents: "Tell your children to slow down, life is short, love one another and love your kids, hug your kids every single day. Tell them you love them."