SHAKOPEE, Minn. — Teammates, classmates and the larger Shakopee community are mourning the loss of a promising student-athlete who died Tuesday of injuries suffered in a late-December car crash.
Her father posted on her CaringBridge site that although she put up a tremendous fight, the injuries Mikayla McCarvel suffered in the Dec. 26 crash were simply too significant to overcome. Dan McCarvel shared that his daughter was able to "grant several prayers of other families who were waiting ever so patiently on a donor registry."
"Mikayla’s life was one filled with endless adventure. It was hard to keep up with all the things she wanted to do next," wrote Dan McCarvel. "She was never one to shy away from something new for fear of failure or embarrassment. To best honor her – go try something new…find that new adventure."
Her father made sure to thank the medical team that cared for Mikayla, and everyone who shared messages, stories, and prayed for her.
Mikayla McCarvel's life was full, with hockey and soccer, band, 4-H and her dedication to academic excellence. Following a recent game, her Shakopee Sabers teammates and opponents from Prior Lake gathered at center ice to kneel, wrap their arms around each other, and pray for her recovery. Hundreds of messages of condolence on the CaringBridge site spoke of Mikayla's kindness, leadership and innate ability to inspire and impact the lives of others.
To help students and staff cope with the loss, the Shakopee Public Schools will deploy a Crisis Team of trained professionals a Crisis Team made up of dedicated professionals at the High School and various district sites throughout the week to support the school community.
On Wednesday Shakopee's U-12B2 girl's hockey team put their hair in Mikayla's trademark single braid, posting a locker room picture on the association's youth hockey Facebook page.
The Minnesota Wild replied to a post on Shakopee Public Schools' Facebook page saying they were going to leave their sticks out Wednesday to honor Mikayla, while the Gopher Women's Hockey program left condolences on their X account. "Our hearts go out to the family, friends and teammates of Mikayla McCarvel," the team posted. "You’re in our thoughts during this difficult time."
Shakopee police say the fatal crash took place on Dec. 26 shortly after 8 p.m. at the intersection of County Road 21 and Tintaocanku. According to the Shakopee Police Chief Jeff Tate, McCarvel was a passenger in a vehicle with three other 17-year-olds. The vehicle was traveling east on Tintaocanku when it was struck by another vehicle traveling south on County Rd 21. The southbound vehicle was being driven by a 26-year-old and had a 20-year old passenger.
Officials say the vehicle with the four teens had a stop sign, but the driver didn't stop. Tate said any charges connected to the crash are pending until the completion of the State Patrol's investigation, which could take six months or more.
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