This Minneapolis Star story hints at the deeper snow — and tougher winters — many of us recall from our youths. Imagine trying to escape from Oakdale on a snowmobile in March 2006.

Train halts runaways’ plans

The well-laid plans of two 14-year-old Oakdale boys to run away from home on snowmobiles came to a near fatal end after they traveled only 3 miles Thursday morning.

Donald P. Johnson, son of Mr. And Mrs. Herbert Johnson, 901 Rose Lane, driving the lead machine, swung into the side of a freight train as he attempted to cross a trestle over County Rd. 16 in Lake Elmo.

The machine was demolished and Donald suffered fractures of both legs and an arm and other injuries. He is in “satisfactory” condition at St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital.

Camping and cooking gear, food and parts of the smashed snowmobile were strewn over a wide area.

The boy, along with Greg Schroepfer, son of Mr. And Mrs. Bernhard Schroepfer, 855 Cedarwood Av., was traveling east along the railroad right of way.

Greg told authorities he heard the whistle of the train, which was approaching them from the rear, and tried to warn Donald. Greg said the Johnson boy apparently didn’t hear Greg or the train or see it and ran into the side of the car behind the engine.

The boys admitted they were “running away,” but said they had no definite destination.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 27th, 2006 at 7:00 pm and is filed under Main, Muscle, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.