A vigil took place Monday evening for a man involved in acrobatics and other performance routines who died over the weekend in a south Minneapolis traffic pileup, while police continue to search for others involved.
Jason Ritenour, 32, of Minneapolis, died Sunday morning at Blaisdell Avenue S. and 26th Street W., according to a Facebook posting by ExperTease Fitness.
Injured in Ritenour's vehicle was his wife, Gaea Dill-D'Ascoli, 31, police said Monday.
"Gaea is recovering in the hospital, however Jason was pronounced dead at the scene," read the notice from ExperTease, a center where participants get in shape doing burlesque, belly-dancing, pole dancing and other performance-type routines. Dill-D'Ascoli was in satisfactory condition Monday afternoon at Hennepin County Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Jason "was active in the performance community and brought joy, humor and light to the world, and we know he will be dearly missed," the notice continued. "We will say a special goodbye. Wear blue costumes and glitter if you wish. As he said, there is never enough glitter."
"He was truly the kindest soul I've ever known," said friend and fellow performer Holly Robin Spilker. "His loss is a crater, miles wide, in all of our hearts."
The center said it will host an informal gathering "if you would like to be with friends and remember him together, all are welcome."
The crash happened about 9:35 a.m., when two vehicles heading south on Blaisdell ran a red light and crashed into two vehicles traveling west on 26th Street.
