Family IDs man fatally hit by vehicle in Twin Cities; driver remains jailed pending charges

Family members have identified the man who was on foot when he was fatally struck by a vehicle on a Twin Cities road allegedly by a driver who was arrested at the scene.

The incident occurred about 11:50 p.m. near Hwy. 100 and Duluth Street in Golden Valley, according to police.

The victim is being identified as 42-year-old Michael Lawver.

“It really saddens me to say my brother was killed purposely,” read a fundraising page started by Carrie Remiarz on behalf of the family.

Remiarz said that “my brother was full of life, and he finally got his life right.” Public records list recent addresses for Lawver in Blaine and Minneapolis.

Sara A. Persons, 40, of Mounds View remains jailed on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide, with charges pending.

Court records in Minnesota show that Persons has been convicted four times for speeding, three times for driving an unregistered vehicle and once for failing to produce insurance to law enforcement.

According to police:

Lawver was driving one vehicle, and Persons was driving behind him. Lawver started driving erratically as a passenger was trying to get him to pull over.

Lawver exited Hwy. 100, stopped on Duluth and jumped out of his vehicle. Persons drove up and hit him.

Firefighters and police revived Lawver at the scene, but he died of his injuries.

Others in the cars were transported to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale for evaluation of their injuries.

Police are waiting for toxicology reports from all involved parties to determine whether anyone was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, Assistant Police Chief Rudy Perez said.

“It was a very horrific, tragic accident,” he said. “But at the same time, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t leave any stone unturned, because there might be the possibility of people being under the influence.”