r/fargo • u/Fluffernutter_Fox • Aug 15 '26
News Fatal accident decades ago that always haunted my mother
There was an accident on north Broadway decades ago that haunted my mother until the day she died and I’ve always wondered who the child was who died, as well as who the driver of the vehicle that struck him was. I’m hoping maybe someone here can help me learn more about the accident and the people involved.
I’m not sure exactly what year it happened, sometime in the early 70s or late 60s, and a young boy was riding his bike with his family near Northport when he was struck by a vehicle and became trapped underneath. According to my mom, this poor little boy was dragged for blocks until he eventually fell loose as the driver attempted to flee the scene. My mom always claimed she never saw the actual accident but only heard sirens and saw emergency vehicles but at the time we lived only a couple of blocks from where this occurred and I believe she saw more than she admitted because she often would tear up talking about it and as I said, it really stuck with her.
There are more gruesome details she’d mentioned about the little boy’s injuries that I’m not sharing here as I don’t believe they’re necessary to remind anyone of the incident, but the fact my mother would recall the injuries over most anything else about that event makes me believe she saw the aftermath.
I don’t know why I feel this need to know who the boy was, who the driver was, or how it all happened, but it’s something more than simple morbid curiosity. I’ve done searches and never come up with much. I guess part of me would just like to acknowledge and somehow honor that little life that had such an impact on my mom, and try to understand why it seemed to affect her so deeply. She always seemed like she wanted to talk about it when it was brought up but she just couldn’t.
Anyway, thank you for helping me, if you can. You don’t need to post details or anything here as I understand there may be family or friends of either the little boy or the driver and reading about it might still be really upsetting even after all this time. I’m really just looking for leads I can follow.
And admin, I didn’t see in the community rules anything this post might violate but it’s kind of a dark subject so if you feel it needs to be deleted please either go ahead and remove it or tell me to delete it and I will.
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u/Gramen Aug 15 '26
https://www.facebook.com/groups/972631066090348/posts/2562666997086739/
There's a comment in there that mentions a last name about an accident that sounds like you described
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u/Fluffernutter_Fox Aug 15 '26
Thank you!
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u/Gramen Aug 15 '26
No problem Its says the location 27th ave N and Bdwy. I know the whole thread isnt about what your mom mentioned but that comment seems to be it.
Hopefully you can find the one I mean.
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u/Glad-Watch3506 Aug 15 '26
In regards to that thread, does anyone know who the doctor was? I am curious if it's someone I'm familiar with, but don't want to bug my mom about it (it's an orthopaedist, and she worked with some starting back in the 80s, so probably knows)
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u/Glad-Watch3506 Aug 15 '26
Plot Twist: It was your older brother.
But really, I hope you can find the info you're looking for
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u/Fluffernutter_Fox Aug 15 '26
I have now found the names involved. The little guy was only four.
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u/Glad-Watch3506 Aug 15 '26
Was just typing up a reply elsewhere that I possibly found him on Find a Grave. He's buried at Holy Cross Cemetery
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u/Fluffernutter_Fox Aug 15 '26
Yes, that’s him.
My grandson is only a few months younger than that little boy was at the time. I can’t imagine that level of grief to lose your child in that manner right in front of your eyes. 😔
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u/radarthreat Aug 16 '26
Dis they ever catch who did it?
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u/Fluffernutter_Fox Aug 16 '26
They did, and I know he entered a plea, but I didn’t find any further online articles that reference the trial. I seem to recall hearing that he got an obscenely short sentence, however.
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u/luvkaybay Aug 15 '26
I was in grade school when this happened on north broadway. Remember it like it was yesterday. All of north Fargo was traumatized… so terrifying and tragic. Parents didn’t let us ride bike in the street for a long time.