Teen Girl Struck by Vehicle While Collecting Mail, Airlifted to Fargo ICU

Ellie Armstrong was grabbing mail from a mailbox on the side of County Highway 1 when a vehicle traveling about 45 mph struck her near the 17000 block of the rural Fergus Falls road just before 4 p.m. on March 18.

The driver, 47-year-old Yullveny Rodriguez Quijada of Richfield, called 911 at 3:56 p.m. and reported she had hit a pedestrian. According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office, Quijada was heading southbound when Armstrong crossed from the west side of the road to the east side and the vehicle turned left into the center line. The front passenger corner of the car struck the 13-year-old. Quijada's vehicle was towed to an impound lot.

Armstrong was transported by ambulance to Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, where the sheriff's office initially characterized her injuries as non-life-threatening to her left side. She was later airlifted by helicopter to the ICU at Sanford Hospital in Fargo.

In a Facebook post, Ellie's father Tyler described a more sobering picture: two fractures to her left arm, lung damage, a brain bleed, a liver laceration, and significant road rash. He wrote that she is making good improvements but will need lots of rest.

The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office determined Quijada was not injured and not impaired. Alcohol, drugs, and distracted driving are not suspected in the crash. No charges or citations have been reported.