EAGAN, Minn. - Family and friends are saddened after head on crash in Eagan that claimed two lives Saturday night.

Kelly Kristiansen, 42, along with Ashim Ahmed, Jr., 18, lost their lives when the cars they were driving collided head-on just after 6 p.m.  The accident happened on Diffley Road near Amberleaf Trail and both men were from Eagan.

"He was a good husband and a good father," says Quinn Schmitt, a good friend of Kristiansen. "He was always so excited for his kids."

Kristiansen leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 5 and 9.

"His family has a lot of support now," says Schmitt. "It's very tough."

The mother of Ashim Ahmed calls her son, "a bright boy with lots of friends." Ahmed was studying to become a dentist at the University of Iowa.

"This is very difficult especially for the families," said Sgt. Jennifer Wills with the Eagan Police Department. "In my 20 years here I've never seen a crash this significant."

According to police, upon impact, the car Ahmed was driving immediately caught fire trapping him inside.

"I grabbed a fire extinguisher and did what I could," recalls Keith Caldwell, a passerby who hurried to the scene to help. "We were trying to get him to be responsive, but the car was just crushed, and the fire kept spreading."

In the days to come, authorities will determine why one of the vehicles crossed into oncoming traffic.  The State Patrol and Eagan police are handling the investigation.

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