A high school student was charged Wednesday with causing serious injury to two innocent bystanders last May during an organized game of Nerf wars in New Hope.
Andres Ramirez Villa, 17, of Brooklyn Park, and another driver were involved in a high-speed chase May 16 about 9 p.m. while playing the popular game, which requires players to "stalk" and "kill" each other with toy guns.
The crash occurred in the 4600 block of Winnetka Avenue.
One car crashed into the bystander's car and forced it off the road into a telephone pole, while Villa's car came to rest in a front yard.
One victim lost consciousness and the other couldn't move, according the charges. Both were hospitalized.
Villa admitted to police that he was playing Nerf wars, was speeding and ran a stop sign before the crash. He was charged with two counts of felony criminal vehicular operation.
Most schools ban the game — which can last for weeks — from campuses, and teen organizers of games often ban it from churches, restaurants and places of work.
In December, Nerf wars played a role in a crash that killed two of four Lakeville teens when the pickup truck they were riding in rolled over.
