A 16-year-old Waconia girl seriously hurt in a rollover crash near Mankato died Friday.
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Alexia “Lexi” Kretsch, 16, was driving northbound on Highway 169 when a vehicle traveling eastbound on County Road 33 crossed in front of her, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
There are plans to construct a memorial in her honor at the new softball fields being constructed west of the new Waconia High School. The driver of the Grand Prix 75-year-old Michael Hiniker of Mankato and his passenger, Mary Hiniker were not injured.
Lexi Kretsch had it all, and people who knew her well including her coach say her passion for life was hard to match.
Kretsch’s Vortex team went ahead and played their game Saturday morning. “That they did everything they could to save her”, said Hannah Erickson.
“The first hope was maybe it was minor”, Mochinski said.
She was also a member of the Waconia High School Varsity team, the Wildcats, with many of her fellow players paying tribute to their beloved teammate on social media, along with other members of the softball community.
Vortex coach Bob Mochinski told KSTP-TV that knowing Kretsch’s competitive spirit, the choice was clear. They also painted the number 2 on the inside of their wrists.
They were two of Kretsch’s closest friends. “Keep throwing those strikes”, she said.
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“We just prayed, for God to help us get through the week as a team, and to do all we could to help Lexi’s mother and her grandmother”, Mochinski said.
