HOPKINS, Minn. — A 17-year-old student-athlete from Hopkins is making "amazing strides" after being seriously injured in a crash on Highway 7 March 5, hit by a man who court documents say should not have been driving.
Her CaringBridge site says Lauren Olson has been allowed to wake from an induced coma, is alert and following the voices of visitors in her room. Family friend Nicole Mitchell says Lauren was able to sit up in a chair Sunday and gave her a big smile.
"When I was there she was moving her arms and legs quite a bit. Although some from agitation, but still moving.
Mitchell wrote. "But the smile. It blew me away. Not only that she smiled, but that she recognized my voice when I spoke. It was amazing. Jody said that was awake much more last night and today. Those darn breathing and feeding tubes just need to go! She still has her neck brace on and I am guessing that will stay a while to keep her stable and help the clavicle heal. Her incision on her knee, where the rod was inserted into her thigh, looks really good as well. And she was even moving that leg."
Mitchell says Lauren's medical team is "blown away" by the progress she made over the weekend, but notes that the teen is still connected to breathing and feeding tubes that make her agitated.
State Patrol investigators report Olson was traveling westbound on Highway 7 around 2:30 p.m. March 5, taking a left-hand turn onto Williston when her vehicle was struck by an SUV driven by a 29-year-old Minneapolis man.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse says a search warrant filed in the case indicates that the driver was speeding and ran a red light before hitting Olson, who had the right of way. The search warrant affidavit also says that the driver does not have a valid license or insurance.
KARE 11 News is not naming the man until criminal charges are filed against him.
That 29-year-old's criminal history reveals a dubious driving record:
- 7 convictions for driving after suspension
- 2 convictions for failing to drive with due care
- 3 instruction permit violations
- Additional convictions for careless driving and inattentive driving
- Pending cases for driving with a revoked license and another failure to drive with due care.
KARE 11 is following Lauren's recovery and the criminal case against the man who hit her, and will have the latest details as they become available.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: