Crash Victims Honored, Remembered, at State Capitol

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Lit candles and empty pairs of shoes symbolized lives forever changed at the Minnesota State Capitol Saturday.

Families took turns describing the moment their lives turned upside down in a moment’s notice.

Pam Mason recounted the day her son Austin was involved in a hit and run in 2021. Austin, 19 at the time, was riding his bike with a friend.

“It left my once vibrant boy, blind, non verbal, quadriplegic, and with a traumatic brain injury,” Mason said. “I sincerely hope no one has to go through the pain of losing a child, or any loved one, regardless of age, whether that’s though a fatality or serious injury like Austin’s.”

Saturday, the Minnesota Safety Council, Minnesota State Patrol and other groups urged drivers around the state to think twice before getting behind the wheel.

There have been 402 fatal crashes in Minnesota this year — which matches 2023’s total — and equates to a fatal crash once every 19 hours.

“It starts with each of us each and every single day making the decision to prioritize safety and encourage others to do the same,” said Lt. Col Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol Saturday.