2 Men Hit While Helping Driver In Other Crash
COON RAPIDS, Minn. (WCCO) -- Two men are badly hurt after they themselves were hit by a car as they tried to help the victim of another crash who is also hurt, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
It happened just after midnight Sunday Morning in Anoka County on Highway 610 at East River Road.
The state patrol said 19-year-old Bao Vang of Shoreview, Minn. was driving east on Highway 610 when she crashed into the center median, and that alcohol was found in her system.
That's when 64-year-old Clifford Haugen of Anoka and 39-year-old Rod Beam of Mounds View stopped to help.
"The two folks who stopped were concerned about the condition of the driver as far as alcohol use, and so part of what they did was take the keys from that driver," said Lt. Eric Roeske. "And all three of them were outside the vehicle at the time the second crash occurred."
Another car came along in the same direction and hit Vang, Haugen, Beam and the first car, according to the State Patrol. At that point, Highway 610 has four lanes in each direction.
The second car was driven by a 20-year-old woman from Mounds View, and alcohol was not found in her system. Neither she nor her 19-year-old passenger were hurt.
Haugen and Vang were taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. As of Sunday evening, the hospital reported Haugen in serious condition and Vang in critical but stable condition.
Beam was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis in critical condition, but has since been upgraded to satisfactory condition.
The Minnesota State Patrol has a few words of advice for people who feel compelled to help a fellow motorists.
"In the last few weeks we've had several troopers hit at scenes similiar to this," said Roeske. "It does happen quite a bit to us, even, and so we just ask people if they do stop to help someone, use extreme caution."
WCCO-TV's Reg Chapman Reports
