Investigators Look for Answers After Deadly Montrose Crash

An investigation continues after a 7-year-old boy waiting for his school bus died Friday morning in a crash that also killed a 47-year-old man.

The State Patrol says the crash happened around 8 a.m. in Montrose, where a driver headed westbound on Highway 12 went through a red light at Highway 25 and veered off the road, striking the boy.

Seven-year-old Hayden Solien was standing on the sidewalk outside his grandmother's home at the time of the accident. He was thrown and dragged several hundred feet; the vehicle hit a tree and rolled.

Both Hayden and the driver, 47-year-old Robert Mercier of Arlington, Minn., died at the scene.

In a statement, Hayden's mother said he was the perfect kid and had a huge heart. Hayden was a student at Parkside Elementary School in Buffalo.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Click here to view a slideshow of photos from the crash scene. 

Tweet