Man charged in deadly 2024 Dayton crash was using 3 apps shortly before collision: charges
DAYTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Becker, Minn. is accused of repeatedly using apps on his phone in the moments before a deadly 2024 crash in Dayton, according to a newly filed criminal complaint.
Deadly Dayton crash
The backstory:
Jordan Thomas Land, 32, is accused of rear-ending a disabled vehicle, killing 60-year-old Julie Kay Terwey of South Haven, Minn. Prosecutors allege Land was using social media applications on his phone and traveling at a high speed leading up to the collision.
Terwey had stopped her Ford Escape in the center lane after hitting a deer. Investigators allege Land was driving his Mazda CX-five at speeds between 70 mph and 85 mph. They also allege Land was actively using social media applications, including TikTok and Facebook, on his phone just before the crash.
What's new:
A detailed cell phone report by investigators indicates repeated use of three apps, Tiktok, Safari, and Facebook, in the moments leading up to the crash on Oct. 27.
Police say among the phone usage, it appears Land Googled "how can you stop balding" at 5:05:47 a.m. – about a minute after connected to the Mazda's Bluetooth at 5:04 a.m.
Between 5:05 a.m. and 5:15 a.m., police say the phone logged nearly constant activity. At 5:16, the TikTok app is launched on Land's phone. It remains active until 5:31:41 a.m. – seconds after the crash.
Traffic camera video captured Land's Mazda colliding with Terwey's Escape at 5:31 a.m.
Land confronted about app use
What they're saying:
In interviews with police, Land told investigators: "One second I was driving and one second there was a car stopped in front of me."
When investigators confronted Land with cell phone data showing app usage before the crash, he responded, "I mean, that was around the time of the election, so I could have been having it, um, for that." He also couldn't explain to investigators why the crash occurred.
What's next:
Land has been charged by summons. He is due to make his first court appearance in August.