BLOOMINGTON, Minn — Former University of Minnesota track standout Eric Walker has died following a crash late last month in Bloomington.
Walker died Saturday, a week after investigators say his vehicle was hit by another vehicle at the intersection of Highway 77 and Old Shakopee Road on Aug. 27.
"Eric was a great young man who impacted people wherever he went. I cannot think of many better people on this earth than Eric," said Director of Track and Field Matt Bingle. "He represented the University of Minnesota the right way, every day. He will be missed. It is a very sad day for our program."
Authorities say during their investigation, witnesses said the vehicle that hit Walker was driving at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic leading up to the collision. The man was taken into custody three days after the crash and then released, pending further investigation, officials say.
A GoFundMe set up for Walker's family describes him as "charming," "life-of-the-party," "funny" and "charismatic," adding that he graduated from the U of M in 2019 with a 3.8 GPA and was working for United Health Group.
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