View of the accident scene from the south side of Highway 5 in Lake Elmo. Photo by Rob Olson / FOX 9 NewsLAKE ELMO, Minn. (KMSP) -
Three people were critically injured and taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul after a head-on crash Tuesday night in Lake Elmo.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Buick driven by 46-year-old Jon Wentz of St. Paul crossed into the eastbound lane of Highway 5 around 9 p.m., crashing head-on with a Honda Civic with two sisters from Stillwater inside.
The crash happened near the intersection of Stillwater Lane.
Officials say Marah Sobczak, 20, and Kalley Sobczak, 15, were on a school shopping errand at the time of the crash. Both young women were wearing their seat belts, but still suffered critical injuries in the crash.
Wentz was not wearing a seat belt. No alcohol was detected at the scene of the crash; however, he should not have been driving.
Records show Wentz has a lengthy criminal record that includes theft, assault, careless driving, a DWI and multiple citations for driving without either a license or insurance.
Robin and Kevin Sobczak, the parents of the two sisters, say both their girls survived lengthy surgeries on Wednesday but still have a long road to recovery.
Marah Sobczak was honored this past spring with an Elite 89 award from the NCAA, which recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average at an NCAA championship site.
Sobczak, a hockey goalie entering her fourth year at Gustavus Adolphus, has achieved a GPA of 3.858 through three years in one of the nation's top physics departments.
