A 71-year-old Sauk Rapids man has been charged in connection with a crash that injured three teenagers in April. One of the teenagers was injured severely.

Dale Braun was charged last month with four counts each of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm and criminal vehicular operation resulting in bodily harm.

Investigators believe that Braun was driving east in the westbound lanes of Hwy. 10 when he turned onto 70th Avenue and entered the eastbound lane of Hwy. 10. They believe he entered the roadway in front of the pickup, which hit Braun’s vehicle in a T-bone collision that left both vehicles in the left lane of eastbound Hwy. 10. At the same time, 36-year-old State Trooper Ryan Moeser of Clear Lake was responding to the report of the wrong-way driver and was heading east on Hwy. 10 in the left lane when he came upon the two vehicles and was unable to avoid a collision.

Charges say a review of the trooper’s squad video shows the vehicles involved in the first collision were not visible to the trooper immediately before impact. The complaint notes that the intersection where the crash happened is unlit and uncontrolled.

All five people involved in the incident were taken to hospitals.

Seventeen-year-old Blayke Mostad, suffered the severest injuries with life-threatening injuries. His brother, 15-year-old Braxton Mostad and 19-year-old Thomas Hansen of Big Lake were also injured, as well as the suspect and the trooper.

Blayke was transferred from HCMC to Abbott Northwestern Hospital in June, amid cheers and shouts of encouragement from staffers.

At Abbott, Blayke is undergoing the start of six weeks of physical therapy, nearly three months after the crash that left him in a coma, with brain and spinal cord injuries, and crushed legs.

A blood sample taken from the suspect after the incident found Trazodone, a medication that can cause dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue and blurred vision, in his system, according to the complaint. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

The suspect allegedly told investigators he realized he was driving the wrong way right before the initial crash.

Minnesota State Patrol added that Moeser has been employed with them since February 2021 and is currently on administrative leave.