Mother, Two Children Killed in Maple Grove Crash Identified
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the woman and two small children who died following a single-vehicle crash Saturday morning in Maple Grove.
The crash happened shortly before 7 a.m. Saturday on Dunkirk Lane, just north of 77th Avenue. According to Maple Grove police, four people were in the vehicle, described as a 2006 Ford Focus. The damage to the vehicle was so severe, it was separated into two parts.
Police say the woman, identified as 25-year-old Kiara Jones, of Minneapolis, was the driver. She was declared dead at the scene. The children are identified as 3-year-old Lily Kendrick and 2-year-old Joshua Kendrick, both of Minneapolis. Both were transported by ambulance to area hospitals, where they later died. Police say Jones was the mother of the two children.
According to Maple Grove police Cmdr. Jon Wetternach, Colin Stanifer-Brown, 23, of Minneapolis remains hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Excessive Speed a Factor in Crash
The crash remains under active investigation. However, a conservative estimate on the speed of the vehicle during the events leading up to the crash is approximately 80 mph, police said. The speed limit on the stretch of Dunkirk where the crash occurred is 45 mph. Police said the driver crossed the median of the four-lane road and struck a tree.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that speed may have been a factor,” said Wetternach in a press release to CCX News.
Wetternach said due to the severity of the crash and condition of the vehicle, information was not immediately available on whether seat belts and child restraints were being used. Investigators also don’t know yet whether alcohol or drugs were factors.
The Maple Grove Police Department is being assisted by crash reconstruction specialists with the Minnesota State Patrol. The investigation could help determine a more accurate speed at the time of the crash, as well as a possible reason for the excessive speed.
“The Maple Grove Police Department asks you to keep the family members of the deceased in your thoughts and prayers during this very tragic and difficult time,” read a statement provided by Maple Grove police late Monday afternoon.
GoFundMe Account to Help with Memorial Expenses
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family with memorial expenses.
“Saturday morning the world lost three bright amazing souls,” read a statement on the family’s GoFundMe page.
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