A 12-year-old Sartell, Minn., boy who was injured in a bicycle accident over the weekend is expected to be taken off life support Wednesday, according to police.
Raghav Shrestha, a seventh-grader at Sartell Middle School, crashed his bike Sunday afternoon after riding down what is often referred to as Muskie Hill at Northside Park, according to Sartell Police Chief Brandon Silgjord.
Raghav was wearing a helmet but suffered a severe head injury that appears to have caused cardiac arrest, Silgjord said.
A 10-year-old boy who was with Raghav called 911 after the crash and a passerby, who was a CPR instructor, confirmed the boy had no pulse and was not breathing. The passerby conducted CPR until officers and an ambulance arrived on scene.
Raghav was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where he was reported to have regained vital signs before being flown to Hennepin County Medical Center in critical condition.
Silgjord shared an update midday Wednesday that said the boy’s condition had worsened and that the medical team declared he had no brain activity.
Silgjord said several Sartell first responders involved with the incident visited the boy Wednesday morning after learning his dream was to become a police officer; the visitors gave him a badge and swore him in as an honorary Sartell officer.
“The Shrestha family wanted it shared that they are deeply appreciative of the community’s support and everyone that rallied behind them in their time of need,” Silgjord said in a press release. “Raghav was a cheerful and fun-loving 12-year-old, doing what so many 12-year-old boys would be doing on a beautiful fall afternoon, which makes this tragedy so difficult to comprehend.”
