31 July 2023
An Austin man is being held pending charges in relation to a two vehicle crash late Friday night in which several people were injured including a 16-year-old who suffered severe injuries.
According to a press release from Austin Police Chief David McKichan Monday morning, Austin police were dispatched to the intersection of Second Avenue and Fourth Street SW at around 8:47 p.m. Friday night in response to a motor vehicle accident with several injuries.
When officers arrived they found two vehicles — a silver SUV with heavy front-end damage in the middle of the road on Second Avenue SW and a red SUV with heavy driver’s side damage next to a garage on the north side of the road.
The Austin Fire Department and May Clinic Ambulance along with the Mower County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota State Patrol all responded to the scene.
According to witnesses at the scene, some in the silver SUV fled the scene and APD eventually apprehended 23-year-old Jeffer Lorenzo laying down next to a house in the area. Lorenzo admitted to being the driver involved in the crash. The other driver was the teenager who was found unresponsive due to his injuries.
The teen, along with a passenger in the silver SUV, were transported to Mayo Clinic Health Systems-Austin. A third person from the silver SUV was found a short time later, passed out on a sidewalk due to intoxication after leaving the scene. He was also taken to Mayo Clinic.
McKichan’s release states that Lorenzo was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin to be medically assessed following his arrest and that a search warrant was obtained based on evidence that Lorenzo was under the influence in order to secure a sample of his blood for testing. Lorenzo was transported to the Mower County Jail where he’s currently being held.
The case is pending review and formal charging decision by the Mower County Attorney’s Office and remains under investigation. Check back to the Austin Daily Herald as more information becomes available.
The post One in jail after two-vehicle crash Friday night that sends several to the hospital appeared first on Austin Daily Herald.