A tragic single-vehicle crash on Interstate 90 Wednesday evening resulted in the death of a young woman from Winona and caused a significant highway closure for several hours. The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the incident near Pleasant Valley Township shortly before 8 p.m., launching an investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal collision.
According to official reports, the crash occurred when a Chevy Traverse, traveling westbound on I-90, veered off the roadway for reasons still under investigation. The vehicle entered the center median and collided head-on with a solid concrete bridge pier supporting County Road 1 overpass. The force of the impact was severe, causing the Traverse to roll over multiple times before coming to rest.
The violent sequence of events left the vehicle positioned in the middle of both westbound lanes, completely blocking traffic. Emergency personnel pronounced the driver, 27-year-old Jasmine Katherine Brown of Winona, dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed she was the sole occupant of the vehicle, though the investigation into what caused her to leave the roadway remains active.
The aftermath of the crash prompted immediate road closures as emergency crews worked at the scene. The Minnesota Department of Transportation shut down all westbound lanes of I-90 and established a formal detour routing traffic south on Highway 63 near Stewartville, then west on Highway 16 near Spring Valley. Motorists experienced significant delays throughout the evening hours.
MnDOT officials had initially warned travelers that the westbound lanes could remain closed until at least 11 p.m. while crash reconstruction and cleanup efforts continued. The Minnesota State Patrol’s investigation includes examining physical evidence from the scene and determining what factors may have contributed to the vehicle leaving the roadway.
The interstate has since been fully reopened to traffic, though the investigation into the crash continues. The death of Jasmine Brown marks another tragic loss on Minnesota roadways, with authorities typically reviewing such factors as road conditions, vehicle mechanical issues, and driver attention as part of their standard investigative process following serious crashes.