SCOTT COUNTY, Minn. — The teen driver in a deadly crash near Jordan, Minnesota last May is charged with criminal vehicular homicide after prosecutors said he was "drifting" when he lost control of the vehicle on a gravel road.
According to court documents, there were three passengers in the SUV when the driver lost control and crashed into a ditch near Valley View Drive in Sand Creek Township just before 8:45 p.m. on May 23, 2023. One of the passengers, 16-year-old Benjamin Camacho, died after being ejected from the vehicle. The two other passengers and the driver were also injured.
One of the surviving passengers told authorities that the driver, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, was drifting for about 50 minutes before the crash. At one point, the passenger said they told the driver to "down it a bit." When the driver later asked if he should do it again, the passenger said they told the driver "no," according to the juvenile petition.
Court documents say that the vehicle was traveling southbound on the gravel road, crossed railroad tracks, drifted and lost control. The vehicle ended up in a ditch. After investigating, officials determined that the primary contributing factor in the crash was the driver and his failure to maintain his lane of travel, according to court documents.
Since the charges were filed in juvenile court, KARE 11 will not name the suspect.
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