Man who seriously injured teen driver in Minnetonka crash sentenced to house arrest

A man who left a teen driver in a coma when he crashed into her car last year in Minnetonka will avoid prison time for the offense.

Mohamed Aydarus Salad, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal vehicular operation for his role in the March 5 crash on Highway 7 that severely injured Lauren Olson, a Hopkins High School student who was 17 at the time.

Hennepin County District Judge Amber Brennan on Wednesday stayed an 18-month sentence for three years, with 364 days to be served at the Hennepin County workhouse. Brennan deducted six months as credit for time served, and the remaining six months was authorized for electronic home monitoring.

According to a criminal complaint, Olson turned left from Highway 7 onto Williston Road when Salad entered the intersection, blowing through a red light and striking Olson’s car, causing it to spin into a light pole on the driver’s side door.

Investigators say Salad had been passing cars on the right shoulder and was driving 96 mph within five seconds of the crash. A half second before impact, his speed was 86 mph, the complaint states.

Salad was driving on a revoked license at the time. No alcohol or drugs were detected in his system.

Olson was in a coma for at least a week and had to be placed on a ventilator. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and numerous broken bones and would spend a month in the hospital recovering, the complaint states.