Former coach remembers Minnetonka grad killed in Indiana hit-and-run

A former coach of the Minnetonka High School graduate who died in a hit-and-run in Indiana last weekend called his death a significant loss.

“It does feel like you lost someone who is part of the family,” Joe Paul, who coached Nate Stratton on alpine skiing for Team Gilboa, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Friday.

Stratton, a 20-year-old junior at Indiana University, was killed Sunday when a suspected drunk driver hit him while he was riding an e-scooter, WRTV in Indianapolis reports.

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Friends and family gathered Thursday night in Bloomington, Indiana, to remember him.

Paul described Stratton as supportive and understanding of others.

“The word that I think of when it comes to Nate is empathy — he was really just there for his teammates, very selfless, very hardworking,” Paul said.

Stratton grew up in the west metro in Excelsior and graduated from Minnetonka High School in 2020.

Madelyn Howard is facing three felony charges in connection to the crash that killed him. Witnesses told police her vehicle swerved into the bike lane where Stratton was riding the scooter.

“He was going to study abroad in January, he was going to Australia and study abroad, an internship this summer and graduate, and get a great job,” his sister, Abby, told WRTV.

Now, the family is planning his funeral and seeking justice.

“We want to see her fully prosecuted to extent of the law,” Brad Stratton, Nate’s father, said.