ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – The family of Marina Challeen, the 24-year-old paramedic killed when her ambulance crashed with a semi on Interstate 694, told Fox 9 she was a “champion of the underdog” who would help anyone who needed it. She will be remembered as a good person, who loved comic books and Star Trek.
“You cannot say goodbye to somebody like Marina,” the family said in a statement. “She was accepting of people for who they were, looked for the best in everybody and loved to share and celebrate that best. She had a love of helping and healing people and for listening. You cannot say goodbye to that, all we can do is extent it to each other.”
At about 7 p.m. Monday night, a HealthEast ambulance crashed into a semi stalled near the split for I-694 and I-94. The semi had stalled due to mechanical issues about 15 minutes before the crash and was the in the process of getting towed when the crash happened. The ambulance was coming from Monticello and heading to the Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis. The ambulance did not have its lights or sirens on and was not carrying any patients.
