11-year-old girl dead, 5 others injured in Independence crash

A two-vehicle crash in Hennepin County on Wednesday left an 11-year-old girl dead and five others injured.

According to the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, a crash occurred at the intersection of County Road 6 and County Road 110 in Independence just before 8 a.m.

Officials say a 41-year-old woman was driving her four children — a 4-year-old boy, two 15-year-old boys and an 11-year-old girl — to school from their home in Maple Plain. The father, a 43-year-old man, was sitting in the passenger seat.

The Acadia stopped at the four-way stop sign on County Road 83 before crossing County Road 6, police say. At that time, a GMC Sierra, driven by an 18-year-old man, didn’t stop at the westbound stop sign and collided with the Acadia.

The mother, father and four children all suffered moderate to serious injuries and were brought to the hospital.

Authorities said the 11-year-old girl suffered life-threatening injuries and was later brought to Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she later died.

The West Hennepin Public Safety Department said, in part: “This is an extremely devastating incident for the family, our community, and our first responders. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they endure this unimaginable loss. We ask that the community respect their privacy as they grieve and begin the healing process.”