The stretch of Interstate 90 near Pleasant Valley Township turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy Wednesday evening, claiming the life of a young woman from Winona in a devastating single-vehicle crash. The whole incident unfolded quickly, leaving a community reeling and prompting a massive, hours-long closure of the major highway as emergency crews and investigators rushed to the scene. The loss of 27-year-old Jasmine Katherine Brown is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly life can change on the open road.
According to the official reports from the Minnesota State Patrol, the fatal collision occurred just before 8:00 p.m. Ms. Brown was driving her Chevy Traverse westbound on I-90 when, for reasons that are still a mystery, the vehicle suddenly veered off the road. It plowed into the center median and then suffered a catastrophic impact, hitting a solid concrete bridge pier—a support for the County Road 1 overpass—head-on.
The force of hitting that pillar was severe, resulting in the Traverse rolling over multiple times. When the wreckage finally came to a stop, it was resting squarely in the middle of both westbound lanes of I-90. Sadly, emergency personnel confirmed that Jasmine Katherine Brown, the sole occupant of the SUV, was pronounced dead right there at the scene. Authorities are working hard to figure out exactly what happened in those final moments that caused her to leave the travel lanes.
The aftermath of the crash caused immediate and significant disruption for anyone traveling on I-90. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) had to completely shut down the westbound side of the interstate, creating a formal detour that rerouted traffic south on Highway 63 near Stewartville and then west onto Highway 16 near Spring Valley. Drivers who found themselves caught up in the evening traffic jam experienced major delays as crews worked through the night.
Initial warnings from MnDOT suggested the closure could last until at least 11 p.m., as crash reconstruction specialists worked meticulously to document the scene before cleanup could even begin. The Minnesota State Patrol launched a thorough investigation, collecting physical evidence and looking into every possible factor—from road conditions and potential vehicle mechanical issues to the all-too-common factor of driver attention. These standard procedures are crucial in determining the final cause of such a serious crash.
What makes this story so difficult is that it marks another life tragically lost on Minnesota's roads, cutting short a young woman's future. While investigators have confirmed that alcohol was not a factor in the crash, they have not yet determined if Ms. Brown was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. It’s those kinds of details, alongside the core question of why the vehicle veered, that the ongoing investigation seeks to uncover.
Thankfully, the interstate has since been fully reopened, bringing traffic back to normal, but for the family and friends of Jasmine Brown, life will never quite be the same. The collaborative response from local agencies, including the Mower County Sheriff's Office, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, Grand Meadow Fire Department, and Mayo Clinic Ambulance, underscores the heavy effort required for these heartbreaking incidents. The public will likely wait some time for the final report to shed light on the tragic sequence of events that unfolded that Wednesday night.
