Home / Crime and Justice / Teen Driver Blames Victim in Coma Case
Teen Driver Blames Victim in Coma Case
4 Aug
Summary
- Teen driver allegedly put child in coma after collision.
- Defense claims victim caused crash, shifting blame.
- State faces deadline to prosecute before teen turns 18.
A 17-year-old from Austin, Minnesota, stands accused of criminal vehicular operation after an incident on May 27th that resulted in an 11-year-old boy, Tristen Ringlen, sustaining a coma. The juvenile defendant allegedly struck Ringlen in the 1300 block of Fourth Avenue Southeast.
During a pretrial hearing on August 3rd, 2026, the defense team for the teenager sought to delay proceedings pending a critical crash reconstruction report from the Minnesota State Patrol. Attorney Kevin Sieben stated that if the reconstruction proves the alleged victim caused the collision, his client cannot be held liable.
Conversely, prosecutor Aaron Jones expressed skepticism, asserting that the allocation of blame is not central to the case and that evidence already points to the teenager's culpability, including alleged phone usage during the crash. Judge Natalie Martinez scheduled a new hearing for mid-October 2026, anticipating the completion of the reconstruction report.
The case carries a ticking clock, as the State of Minnesota has until January 2027, when the defendant turns 18, to conclude the prosecution. This deadline limits the time available to resolve this criminal vehicular operation case.
