“Since being discharged from physical therapy in October, I’ve been steadily rebuilding my strength and endurance,” Michaela Howk said. “I’m eager to return to running and have set my sights on a half marathon this spring, followed by Grandma’s Marathon in June 2026.”

Michaela Howk, 27, an EMT, was struck by a vehicle while crossing near Fourth Avenue Northeast and University Avenue Northeast in Minneapolis just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025. Police said the driver fled the scene, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.

Four women traveling in a passing vehicle stopped after seeing Michaela Howk lying in the roadway. Ashley Worts used the vehicle to block traffic before exiting, while the others called 911. The women remained at the scene until emergency responders arrived.

“Nobody thought she was going to make it,” Sheila Howk, Michaela’s mother, said. “She was one of four hit-and-run crashes that night.”

The women who were the first on the scene to help Michaela Howk after the accident, reunite with her seven days later on Jan. 7, 2025. They were the first on scene, called 911, and stayed with her until help arrived. The group remains in contact and shares a lasting bond after the traumatic event. In photo from left to right Kelsey Kuemper, Jenna Baumgart, Michaela Howk, Ashley Worts, and Emily Hamilton. Photographer: Sheila Howk

The Howk family was notified hours later after a nurse from Hennepin County Medical Center contacted them to help identify a patient. When they arrived at the hospital, Michaela Howk was intubated and in critical condition.

“I was an EMT, trained to respond to emergencies,” Michaela Howk said. “I had accepted a position at a children’s hospital and was preparing to begin work in January. Instead, I became the patient.”

She sustained a traumatic brain injury, five pelvic fractures, spinal injuries and extensive facial trauma. Her injuries required eight surgeries and months of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.

Despite medical recommendations to remain intubated, Sheila Howk advocated for removal of the breathing tube. Sheila Howk said doctors ultimately agreed.

“Every time they said they wanted to keep her on it, she fought harder,” Sheila Howk said.

Surgeons initially planned to stabilize Howk’s pelvis with hardware, but during surgery found the fractures had aligned without intervention. She was discharged from the hospital after seven days.

Following discharge, Michaela Howk required extensive rehabilitation and additional surgeries, including facial reconstruction procedures involving bone grafts and gum transplants.

Another surgery remains planned.

“The early phase of recovery was marked by profound physical limitation,” Sheila Howk said. “Progress was measured in small functional gains.”

Her recovery included physical therapy addressing pelvic instability, spinal injuries and bilateral knee injuries, as well as cognitive and emotional effects associated with traumatic brain injury.

“Recovery proved to be non-linear, with periods of progress and setbacks,” Sheila Howk said.

Michaela Howk lived independently in Minneapolis until July, when she returned to New Ulm following changes in her housing situation. She continues rehabilitation while planning her professional future.

“The past year has been a sustained battle, not only for physical recovery, but for the life I once imagined,” Michaela Howk said.

She was physically cleared to return to work in October.

She is employed part time at Wendinger Travel and plans to return to the field as an EMT. She is scheduled to begin an accelerated nursing program in January with the long-term goal of becoming a flight nurse.

“I am motivated and ready to carefully ramp up my training while maintaining my recovery gains,” Michaela Howk said.

A GoFundMe campaign organized following the crash raised approximately $60,000 in eight days. Friends and family assisted with home modifications and caregiving needs during her recovery.

The four women who stopped at the crash scene later met Howk at the hospital. They remain in contact today.

The driver, Maurice Ladale Carter, 26, turned himself in on Jan. 15, 2025, after investigators identified his vehicle through surveillance footage.

He was sentenced in July to 120 days in county jail with work-release eligibility, an 18-month stayed prison sentence and five years of probation.

Court records show Carter was unemployed and driving with a revoked license at the time of the crash.

His criminal history includes prior convictions for driving while revoked, DWI and using a cellphone while driving. None qualified as felonies under Minnesota sentencing guidelines.

Michaela Howk delivered a victim impact statement during sentencing.

“I want people to understand that the impact of this crash extends far beyond the moment of injury,” she said. “The decision to leave an injured person behind is not an accident. Its effects continue long after the initial trauma.”

As the one-year anniversary approaches, Michaela Howk said her recovery remains ongoing.

“One year later, I continue to heal physically and emotionally,” she said. “While challenges remain, I am committed to rebuilding my life and moving forward.”