INDEPENDENCE, Minnesota — An 11-year-old girl has died following a collision with a pickup truck whose driver allegedly ran a stop sign in Independence, Minnesota. The crash occurred Wednesday morning as the family was on their way to school.
According to the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, the accident happened just before 8 a.m. at the intersection of County Road 6 and County Road 110/County Road 83.
Authorities reported that the parents were driving their four children when the family’s vehicle stopped at the intersection’s four-way stop. Witnesses stated that the family then proceeded to cross County Road 6 heading south. Witnesses also said a pickup truck traveling west failed to stop at the stop sign, colliding with the family’s vehicle, according to a press release.
The family consisted of the parents, a 4-year-old boy, two 15-year-old boys, and the 11-year-old daughter. Following the collision, the 11-year-old was transported to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, where she died from her injuries on Friday. The rest of the family sustained injuries described by authorities as “moderate to severe.”
In a statement, the family expressed their grief. “Our beloved 11-year-old daughter, Lilyana, along with our family, was involved in a serious accident on Wednesday morning. We are devastated to share that after being on life support for the last two days, Lilyana passed at Children’s Minnesota earlier today. We find comfort in Lilyana’s legacy soon living on through organ donation. For those wanting to support our family during this difficult time, please consider donating to this GoFundMe. Lilyana was the heart of our family, with a giving and generous spirit that was felt by all around her. Our family would like to thank the community for its thoughts and well wishes, and request privacy at this difficult time. We will not be releasing any further information to the media.”
The driver of the pickup truck, according to the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, was an 18-year-old from St. Paul.
“This is an extremely devastating incident for the family, our community, and our first responders. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they endure this unimaginable loss. We ask that the community respect their privacy as they grieve and begin the healing process,” the West Hennepin Public Safety Department said in a social media post.
