St. Cloud teen killed in crash was from family with deep hockey roots

A 17-year-old driver who died in a crash near St. Cloud over the weekend was a high school hockey player whose family has been a cornerstone for the sport in the community.

Charlie Boike crashed his SUV on Saturday night about 5 miles south of St. Cloud in the 21800 block of 23rd Avenue in St. Augusta, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office said.

Boike's SUV left southbound 23rd Avenue, went into the ditch and rolled over, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"The roads at the time of the crash were slippery due to weather and precipitation throughout the day," a Sheriff's Office statement said.

A passing motorist reported the wreck to the Sheriff's Office shortly after 10:30 p.m. and said he could see one person in the SUV. Other people stopped, removed Boike from the vehicle and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Deputies took over lifesaving measures until Boike was declared dead at the scene, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Boike was a junior at St. Cloud Tech High School and a forward in the Crush hockey program that combines students from Tech and St. Cloud Apollo.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the Boike family and friends as we are heartbroken over the loss of our hockey teammate, Charlie," a posting on the team's Twitter account read.

Boike's mother, Erika, coordinates housing for members of the St. Cloud Norsemen junior hockey team as well as its game-day operations manager. His father, Jeff, has dedicated many years to coaching youth hockey in St. Cloud.

Brother Drew preceded Charlie on the ice for the St. Cloud Crush, and younger brother Lewis also plays hockey.

"The Boike family is truly the heart of hockey in the St. Cloud area," reads an online fundraising effort started on behalf of the family, "and we would love to be able to help them as they prepare to honor Charlie and the life he lived with a huge heart and his memorable smile."