State Campaign Stresses Car Seat Safety
A mother was in Maple Grove on Monday sharing a painful story about her daughter’s death in a car crash.
Jennifer Starkson’s daughter Morgan Gruenwald was killed in a crash with a semi-truck in June 2024.
However, Starkson’s three grandchildren survived the crash thanks to their car seats.
Now, she’s asking every driver to make sure they travel safe in her daughter’s memory.
“To every parent and grandparent, and anyone else who drives with a child — buckle them up. Don’t take a chance, not even once,” she said at a Monday press conference at the Maple Grove Fire Department.
Minnesota public safety officials are stressing the importance of a properly sized and buckled car seat in preventing car crash injuries. First responders in Maple Grove, along with North Memorial Health, will be providing car seat check-ups on Sept. 27.
Public safety officials spoke with Starkson as part of a state-wide push to reduce the number of people killed in traffic accidents.
“I’ll tell you, the hardest part of our job isn’t writing tickets,” said Col. Christina Bogojevic with the Minnesota State Patrol. “It’s knocking on a door to tell a family their loved one isn’t coming home because they weren’t buckled up or properly secured in a car seat. That’s a moment that no one forgets.”
Police patrols for unbuckled drivers are ramping up next week.
Meanwhile, first responders in Maple Grove, as well as officials from North Memorial Health, will offer car seat check-ups on Sept. 27.
