13-year-old girl identified as driver killed in Itasca County pursuit crash: BCA

(FOX 9) - The driver of a stolen van killed in a crash during an Itasca County pursuit has been identified as a 13-year-old girl. 

Pursuit ends in fatal crash

The backstory:

In a press release on Tuesday, the Minnesota BCA identified a 13-year-old girl from Cass Lake as the driver who died after a pursuit ended in a crash early Sunday. Law enforcement said the van she was driving had been stolen earlier that night from Cohasset. 

According to the press release, at around 1:30 a.m., an Itasca County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a vehicle traveling without headlights on County Road 63. However, the driver failed to pull over and fled from the deputy. 

The deputy initiated a pursuit, which reached speeds of more than 90 mph. The Minnesota State Patrol attempted to intercept the vehicle by deploying a stop stick, but it was unsuccessful. 

The 13-year-old girl continued driving on Highway 6, eventually leaving the road just east of County Road 11 and crashing into a tree. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

What's next:

To avoid any potential conflict of interest, the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office has asked the BCA to investigate the incident, which remains ongoing.