Two Forest Lake track athletes hit by driver on Highway 61

Two Forest Lake high school athletes were hit by a car while crossing Highway 61 on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

The Minnesota State Patrol said the injured students were part of a group of runners crossing the highway in the crosswalk when they were struck by a 2001 Cadillac DeVille driven by an 84-year-old Lindstrom man.

The crash happened just after 3:30 p.m. in the Highway 61 crosswalk on 202nd Street North, according to the State Patrol. The injured teens, who are both 15-year-old Forest Lake boys, were airlifted from the scene.

"We were saddened to learn this afternoon that two of our high school student track athletes were struck by a vehicle as they were crossing Highway 61," Forest Lake Area Schools Superintendent Steve Massey wrote in an email to families and staff.

"Names of the students have not yet been released and we do not have further updates on the students’ condition," Massey continued. "Our hearts are with these students and their families."

Authorities have not yet indicated what might've caused the crash, which remains under investigation.