Former U of M track and field athlete Eric Walker dies
Eric Walker, center, during a track and field event (Photo courtesy: University of Minnesota).
A former University of Minnesota track and field athlete has died, according to an announcement from the team’s Twitter account posted Saturday.
A GoFundMe account states that Walker, 25, died on Sept. 3 from injuries he suffered in a car crash that happened on Aug. 27. He had been in the ICU for his injuries.
The crash happened at around 5:20 p.m. on Aug. 27 on Old Shakopee Road at the exit ramp from Highway 77.
Bloomington police and emergency personnel were called to the scene and found two vehicles with severe damage, police say. Walker was found unconscious and had to be extricated and taken to a hospital.
The three people in the other vehicle were also taken to a hospital.
According to police, Walker’s Nissan Altima was headed south on Highway 77 when it exited at Old Shakopee Road while the other vehicle — a Land Rover — was northbound on Highway 77 and also exited at Old Shakopee Road. As the Land Rover turned westbound, it hit the Nissan as it entered the intersection.
Witnesses and traffic cameras showed the Land Rover had been traveling at a high rate of speed and was weaving through traffic before the crash.
On Aug. 30, police arrested the 40-year-old driver of the Land Rover in Faribault for criminal vehicular operation. However, formal charges haven’t yet been filed.
The investigation is ongoing.
Walker was originally from Chicago and was a standout hurdler for the Gophers.