17-year-old from Montezuma dies after car accident in Grinnell

Two individuals were in a single-vehicle rollover accident early Saturday morning near Grinnell, resulting in the death of a 17-year-old female passenger.

Jasper County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a motor vehicle accident at 2:41 a.m. Aug. 26 near the 5300 block of Jewel Street, east of Rock Creek. There were two people in the Jeep at the time of the accident. The passenger was air-lifted by Mercy helicopter to a Des Moines hospital.

However, Jasper County Chief Deputy Duane Rozendaal told Newton News that the juvenile later died in the hospital on Aug. 28. The sheriff’s office has not revealed the identity of the passenger, but a number of social media posts identified the victim as Chloe Hutchcraft, of Montezuma.

Benjamin Kelne, 18, of Grinnell, was identified as the driver. Kelne was treated and released from a nearby hospital with only minimal injuries. The vehicle was found on its side, and authorities currently believe it rolled one time. Iowa State Patrol is also assisting in the investigation of the crash.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, Mercy and the state patrol, the other agencies who responded to the crash were Midwest Ambulance, Kellogg Fire/EMS, Grinnell Fire and Barney’s Towing. According to the initial press release, the car accident still remains under investigation, and any charges are pending.

Following the crash, a GoFundMe was set up for Hutchcraft. As of Wednesday, Aug. 30, donors raised more than $4,200 out of the $5,000 goal. Social media posts from individuals in the Montezuma community say Hutchcraft was a member of the golf team and cross-country team.

Montezuma High School’s cross-country Facebook page acknowledged the teen’s death in a number of posts:

“You pray to never have moments like these. Chloe was a beautiful soul. We’re heartbroken over the sudden loss of our teammate and friend, and can only wish for more time to laugh, make memories or go on one more run. We love you, Chlo. We can. We will. For Chloe.”