Hockey teammate charged with reckless driving in crash that killed Jori Jones

GRACE TOWNSHIP, Minn. — The teammate who was driving the car during the crash that killed Gustavus Adophus College women's hockey player Jori Jones now faces a reckless driving charge.

Jones, 19, was riding home from a North Dakota team bonding trip when the car crashed into a van at a four-way intersection in western Minnesota.

Jones died at the hospital following the crash. Her three teammates and the driver of the van suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

The teammate who was driving gave a statement to police saying that she "didn't notice that it was a four-way intersection until way too late," charges say. She took a preliminary breath test which showed a result of 0.000.

Police interviewed witnesses at the scene who said the teammate was driving at roughly 60 mph. The van, witnesses said, stopped at the intersection and was starting to accelerate when it was hit.

Charges say a crash reconstruction estimated that the teammate was driving 78 mph and was going between 55 and 65 mph when she hit the van. She was speeding and failed to obey a stop sign, the reconstruction report said.

The teammate was charged Friday with reckless driving, a misdemeanor. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 364 days, $3,000 or both.

Jones began her hockey journey in Roseville with the Roseville Area Youth Hockey Association, where her father also was a coach. She went on to join the Gustavus women's hockey team as a goalie, and was on the team when they won the 2023 Division III national championship in a thrilling triple-overtime game.

Note: The video above first aired on Oct. 21, 2023.