Early Friday morning, tragedy struck on a slick, snow-covered stretch of Highway 274 about 10 miles south of Granite Falls, MN. At roughly 8:00 a.m., a southbound car driven by 41-year-old Jean Elizabeth Hodgman lost control and slid across the centerline — colliding head-on with a northbound SUV. The collision claimed two lives: Hodgman and a 14-year-old passenger, Jonathan David Ramos.
Witnesses described treacherous conditions: snow-covered roads and slick surfaces that likely played a grim role in the crash. According to the official crash report from Minnesota State Patrol (MSP), the Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Hodgman veered northbound before colliding with a 2024 GMC Acadia driven by 44-year-old Stacy Lynn Timm of Montevideo. The Acadia’s driver was treated at Granite Falls Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Both Hodgman and the boy were pronounced dead at the scene, the MSP report confirmed. Tragically, neither was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Jonathan Ramos, a 14-year-old from the small town of Echo, MN — only about seven miles southeast of the crash site — had set out that morning riding with Hodgman. What began as a routine trip turned into a heartbreaking catastrophe.
Local law-enforcement noted that icy roads and snow buildup were the likely contributing factors. The crash happened just as winter conditions were making travel more hazardous across southwestern Minnesota — a reminder of how quickly a calm morning can turn disastrous.
The surviving driver, Timm, came out with injuries, but nothing life-threatening — a small relief in an otherwise tragic event. Officials continue to urge caution on winter roads, and especially emphasize the importance of seatbelt use — a factor that might have altered the outcome for the victims.
As the tight-knit community of Echo mourns, friends and neighbors are rallying for the family of Jonathan, remembering him not as a victim but as a young life full of potential — one gone too soon.
The post Echo, MN Teen Among Victims in Deadly Snow-Covered Crash appeared first on Tripplenews.
