Farmington teen dies in car crash

Rodrigo Leon Dooley died after a collision in Vermillion Township, west of Hastings.

March 5, 2023 at 5:13PM

A 17-year-old from Farmington died Saturday after his car was rear-ended and pushed into oncoming traffic.

Rodrigo Leon Dooley was driving on 160th Street E. in Vermillion Township, west of Hastings, when he was rear-ended by the driver of an SUV about 2:30 p.m. as he slowed on the two-lane road to turn left, according to the State Patrol.

The crash pushed Dooley's Toyota Corolla into oncoming traffic and a minivan collided with it head-on. The State Patrol said Dooley, who was wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

The driver of the SUV, Gina Lynn Jermasek, 49, of Hastings, was hospitalized with noncritical injuries. The driver of the minivan, Steven Anthony Lutchen, 25, of Newport, wasn't injured, but passenger Rebecca Lutchen, 26, was taken to Regions Hospital with noncritical injuries. Two children in the van weren't injured.

about the writer

about the writer

Kelly Smith

News team leader

Kelly Smith is a news editor, supervising a team of reporters covering Minnesota social services, transportation issues and higher education. She previously worked as a news reporter for 16 years.

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