Teen Fighting for Life After DWI Accident

Woodbury, Minn. - A Woodbury teenager is fighting for his life after a vehicle he was riding in was hit by an alleged drunk driver.

That suspect has a lengthy history of driving under the influence and authorities say he does not have a valid license.

Now the victim’s family is pleading for harsher DWI penalties.

"It doesn't always happen to someone else. It happened to us,“ explained Keith Fitzpatrick, whose 17-year old son Sean suffered massive injuries in the Sunday evening crash. “We got the unlucky number. The penalties for drunk driving need to be stiffer to the point they are actually a deterrent because they certainly are not now."

Sean Fitzpatrick was riding in the backseat of the vehicle with a couple friends. They were hit from behind while at a stop at the intersection of Valley Creek Road and Woodbury Drive in Woodbury. Police identified the suspected drunk driver as 38-year old Edward Jaworski. Investigators believe he may have been traveling as fast as 80 miles per hour before the near-fatal crash.

Jaworski has a history of driving under the influence, having been charged at least four times according to Woodbury Police. That includes an arrest just a couple months ago in June. Investigators told FOX 9 that Jaworski does not have a valid license because of his record.

"I want him off the roads because he is going to do it to someone else. He is a ticking time bomb,” stated Michelle Fitzpatrick, Sean’s mother.

As for Sean, his family says that the boy broke every bone in his face. A critical plastic surgery is planned for Thursday at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul. The 17-year old is no longer in a coma, but is breathing with the help of a ventilator and ingesting food via a feeding tube.

Said his father, "We're of course worried about his brain and his spine."

"It's hard to watch your kid in this shape,” added his mother, Michelle.

Jaworski spent a couple days in the hospital. He has been transferred to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater. Formal criminal charges are expected in the next day or two.

The two girls in Fitzpatrick’s vehicle were both shaken up. They are still dealing with aches and pains, but should be okay.

To follow Sean’s progress, his family has set up a Caring Bridge website – http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/seanfitzpatrick1