A car struck two girls riding minibikes in Brooklyn Center on Thursday, leaving one dead and the other in critical condition. Brooklyn Center Commander Richard Gabler said both children were taken to North Memorial after the crash.
Gabler said one of the girls was declared dead at North Memorial, while the other was still in critical condition as of 4:40 p.m. on Thursday. The girls were 7 and 9 years old, and the driver stayed at the scene and was cooperating with police.
63rd Avenue North and Brooklyn Drive
Police said the girls were riding eastbound on 63rd Avenue North and approaching Brooklyn Drive when a car heading south on Brooklyn Drive hit them. The location matters because the crash happened at an intersection with no stop sign, which neighbors said made it an uncontrolled crossing.
Richard Anderson said, "A lot of the uncontrolled intersections are dangerous" and added, "Everytime I drive through them, I slow down on purpose and look both ways." His comment matches the setup at the crash site, though the source does not say the road layout caused the collision.
Patty Allyn on the crash
Neighbor Patty Allyn said, "Just feel so bad for the families, and really bad for the driver too" and added, "I don’t think the kids saw the car and I don’t think the car driver saw the kids. It was jsut that quick." Aidon Stockwell said, "This morning I did see them riding around over here. And next thing I see fire trucks, police cars and everything."
Stockwell also said, "I noticed the…the little scooter whatever from earlier and like I just realized who got hit." The driver remained at the scene, and the investigation now centers on how two children on minibikes and a southbound car met at that crossing so quickly.
