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Juvenile charged in crash that injured Austin child hopes reconstruction clears name
['Anne Halliwell Is The Public Safety Reporter At The Post Bulletin.']
Post Bulletin
AUSTIN — A 17-year-old driver charged with putting a child in a coma hopes the Minnesota State Patrol's crash reconstruction will shift blame onto the 11-year-old victim.
Attorney Kevin Sieben, representing the teen defendant, said if a crash reconstruction shows the "alleged victim" actually caused the collision, the juvenile cannot be held responsible.
If the crash reconstruction does not show the 11-year-old was at fault, the defense may consider negotiating a settlement, Sieben added.
Attorney Aaron Jones, representing the prosecution, said he doubted the crash reconstruction would change the underlying facts of the case.
Judge Martinez ruled that Mower County Court would schedule a new pretrial hearing in mid-October, in the hopes that the crash reconstruction would be complete by the fall.