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Grinnell man charged in fatal Iowa crash investigation

News

November 28th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

JASPER COUNTY, Iowa — An arrest has been made in the deadly August crash that killed a 17-year-old girl from Montezuma. According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, 18-year-old Benjamin Kelne, of Grinnell, faces involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving charges, among others, in the rollover crash that happened Aug. 26 in the 5300 block of Jewel Street. Kelne was also charged with possession/purchase of alcohol, careless driving and failure to maintain control.

Chloe Hutchcraft, a 17-year-old senior at Montezuma High School, was Kelne’s passenger. She was taken to a Des Moines hospital by medical helicopter, where she died two days after the crash.