In a tragic incident that occurred early last Saturday near Grinnell, two people were involved in a vehicle accident that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old female passenger.
The Jasper County Sheriff's Office received a call about a vehicle accident at 2:41 a.m. on August 26, near the 5300 block of Jewel Street, east of Rock Creek. At the time of the accident, there were two individuals in the Jeep. The passenger was airlifted by Mercy helicopter to a hospital in Des Moines.
However, Deputy Chief Duane Rozendaal of the Jasper County Sheriff's Office informed Newton News that the minor passed away at the hospital on August 28. The sheriff's office has not revealed the identity of the passenger, but several social media posts have identified the victim as Chloe Hutchcraft from Montezuma.
Benjamin Kelne, an 18-year-old resident of Grinnell, was identified as the driver. Kelne was treated and released from the nearby hospital with minor injuries. The vehicle was found overturned, and authorities believe it rolled over only once. The Iowa State Patrol is also assisting in the accident investigation.
In addition to the sheriff's office, Mercy, and the state patrol, other agencies that responded to the accident were Midwest Ambulance, Kellogg Fire/EMS, Grinnell Fire, and Barney's Towing. According to the initial press release, the car accident is still under investigation, and possible charges are being evaluated.
After the accident, a GoFundMe campaign was created for Hutchcraft. As of Wednesday, August 30, donors had raised over $4,200 out of the $5,000 goal. Social media posts from members of the Montezuma community mention that Hutchcraft was a member of the golf team and cross-country team.
The Facebook page of Montezuma High School's cross-country team acknowledged the teenager's death in several posts:
"We never pray for moments like these. Chloe was a beautiful soul. We are devastated by the sudden loss of our teammate and friend, and we can only wish for more time to laugh, make memories, or run once again. We love you, Chlo. We can. We will. For Chloe."
Originally posted at Liga Legal® Abogados
