Teammate of Gustavus women’s hockey player who died in crash charged with reckless driving
Gustavus goalie Jori Jones. (Courtesy: Gustavus Adolphus College/CJ Siewert)
One person has been charged in a crash last year that left a Gustavus Adolphus women’s hockey player dead.
On Friday, Gianna Kate Gasparini, 20, was charged with one count of reckless driving for her role in a crash that killed Jori Jones. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 364 days and/or a fine of $3,000.
Court documents state that on Aug. 20, a car crash occurred at the intersection of Highways 40 and 29 in Chippewa County. Two vehicles were involved in the crash, each with multiple people inside.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Jones, Gasparini and two other Gustavus teammates were in an eastbound Chevy Equinox on Highway 40 at around 12:40 p.m. when it and a southbound Dodge Grand Caravan collided at the intersection of Highway 29.
All five people involved in the crash were taken to the hospital, where Jones later died from her injuries.
Gasparini and the other two teammates, identified as Lily Kay Mortenson and Kayla Marie Bluhm, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Grand Caravan, a 28-year-old Benson woman, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Court documents note that a Minnesota State Patrol trooper talked to Gasparini on the scene after the crash who said, “I was going to that intersection stop sign, I was going the speed limit and I tried to stop, but the other car was already out, I had nowhere to go.”
A witness on scene said the Equinox was going too fast and missed the stop as it hit the Caravan, according to court records.
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Gasparini later stated she was not using her phone at the time of the crash and when tested for alcohol, she provided a breath result of 0.000. Gasparini also noted that she hadn’t taken Adderall that day but “probably should have.”
A crash reconstruction report stated that prior to the crash, Gasparini was driving 78 miles per hour and at the time of the crash, her speed was between 55 and 65 miles per hour.