Teenager, State Trooper Among 5 Hurt in Chain-Reaction Crash

Apr 10

Five people were hospitalized after a chain-reaction crash involving a State Trooper and two other vehicles on Highway 10 in Clear Lake Township.

The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office says the incident began just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, when multiple 911 callers reported a wrong-way driver heading westbound in the eastbound lanes of Highway 10 near 70th Avenue Southeast.

As Troopers responded to the calls, one of the vehicles involved—believed to be the wrong-way driver—collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Highway 10 and 70th Avenue.

A State Trooper responding to the scene then struck one or both of the vehicles involved in the initial crash, the sheriff’s office said. The exact sequence of the collisions remains under investigation.

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Among the five people transported to area hospitals was a teenager with life-threatening injuries. The conditions of the four other individuals were not considered life-threatening, but the extent of their injuries was not detailed. The age of the juvenile has not yet been confirmed.

The State Patrol requested the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office to lead the investigation, which is standard procedure when a Trooper is involved in a crash that results in serious injury.

UPDATE | Saturday, April 12

Authorities have confirmed that 70-year-old Dale Braun, who was driving a Ford Flex SUV, was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 10 and turned onto 70th Avenue, in front of a GMC Sierra, driven by 17-year-old Blayke Mostad, with 15-year-old Braxton Mostad and 19-year-old Thomas Hansen as passengers. A T-bone collision occurred at the intersection, with both vehicles coming to rest in the left lane of eastbound Highway 10.

State Trooper Ryan Moeser, 36, was responding eastbound on Highway 10 in the left lane when he came upon the crash and wasn’t able to avoid the vehicles, the Patrol said. Five people in total were hurt, though four of those were reported to be non-life-threatening injury.

Family members told KSTP-TV that Blayke Mostad has “extensive brain injuries” requiring multiple surgeries to reduce the risk of infection and brain swelling. The 17-year-old was outside his vehicle after the first collision, according to initial information, and was struck by the responding Trooper. Mostad’s brother, 15-year-old Braxton, had serious injuries to an eye, according to the family.

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