Posted at: 12/02/2009 10:57 PM
By: Becky Nahm

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Victim in Roseville Chain-Reaction Crash Identified

The woman killed in a seven-vehicle crash in Roseville Tuesday was a 78-year-old great-grandmother who was heading home from the grocery store.

Grace Hilma Sauber, of Roseville, was in the first car hit by an out-of-control minivan on County Road C.

She, along with six other drivers, were stopped at a traffic light. The impact of the crash sent Sauber's Chevy Impala into the car in front of her and set off a chain reaction.

Sauber's family told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she worked as a nurse for more than 45 years. Her passions included yoga, tai chi and her pet cats.

She lived alone in a town home.

Her neighbor Dan Stone said, "She was just a wonderful neighbor. We enjoyed her a lot. We'd have her over on holidays and have dinners with us. And we'd visit back and forth at the mailbox."

The driver who rear-ended Sauber's car was Kerry Hamilton, 52, of White Bear Lake.

Police said Hamilton experienced a major medical problem and was unable to stop. He is in critical condition at Hennepin County Medical Center.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy on Sauber to determine her cause of death.

The Minnesota State Patrol and Roseville Police Department are continuing the investigation.

Sauber left behind a son, three granddaughters, and a great granddaughter.