Student at Shakopee High School dies days after crash

Kyle Brown, Krystal Frasier & Pafoua Yang KSTP

Student at Shakopee High School dies days after crash

Student at Shakopee High School dies days after crash

Shakopee High School is mourning a second student death in a matter of weeks.

On Monday morning, Shakopee Public Schools said it had learned through family that 16-year-old Evan Martin, a junior at Shakopee High, had died days after he was injured in a car crash.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office says the crash was reported just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24 on Townline Avenue near the intersection of Autumn Trail in Louisville Township.

When deputies and first responders arrived, they found Martin had been traveling north on Townline and crossed over to the southbound lane and entered the west ditch before hitting a tree.

Martin, who was the only person in the vehicle, was brought to Hennepin County Medical Center with what were considered life-threatening injuries but died a few days later.

The Sheriff’s Office adds Martin was wearing a seatbelt, and don’t believe alcohol or drugs were a factor.

While authorities didn’t say why Martin crossed traffic lanes, a GoFundMe page set up to support his family says he suffered a brain injury in the crash.

“Hearing how gracious he was and everything, it crushed me because I knew that he wouldn’t get to share that with people again,” said Steve Martin, Evan’s father.

Steve says his son is now on his journey to the stars in accordance to their native culture.

“What I think was, you know, that kept him fighting to the very end was the love for his two little siblings,” said Steve. 

“Evan was a sweet kid. Always, always very energetic. Very kind-hearted,” said Dan Lower.

Lower’s son and Evan were friends and attended the same school. Lower says Evan loved animals and was good at technology.

“No parent should have to bury a child and it’s a very hard thing to deal with,” said Lower. 

“On behalf of the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of the young man who tragically lost his life in this incident. Our hearts go out to the community affected by this heartbreaking loss,” said Sheriff Luke Hennen.

Another Shakopee student, Mikayla McCarvel, died earlier this month after she was involved in a car crash on Dec. 26.

“The occurrence of another loss in our school community is unimaginable, and we are committed to exerting every effort to provide ongoing support to all students, staff and families,” the school district said on X, formerly Twitter.