Steve and Jessica Passon were on their way home with their kids, Jocelynn, 12, and Drake, 8, after attending a relative’s funeral on August 4, 2023, when they met a horrifying car accident. It happened when a car crossed the median and collided with their truck.
What was supposed to be a regular journey back home turned into a nightmare for the Minnesota family after their vehicle crashed with another. The Pepin County Sheriff’s Office was soon informed about the crash.
The crash occurred near US Highway 10 and Sylvester Road in Pepin County. The Passon family’s truck caught fire after the head-on collision. Fortunately, a passerby came to help before three others joined him.
According to the Pepin County Sheriff’s Office, the bystanders, who were not named, gave immediate medical aid to the Passon family. The authorities said these four individuals had “some level of training” which allowed them to help the family.
18-year-old Ethan R. Whitwam was driving the car that collided with the Passon family’s vehicle. The Pepin County Sheriff’s Office said it was a “serious traffic crash” and reported two deaths during the unfortunate incident.
Who Died in the Crash?
Bystanders helped Steve exit the driver’s seat while Jessica escaped the burning vehicle and immediately turned towards the backseat to pull her kids out. Little did she know that only one of them would survive.
The 40-year-old father was critically injured. The authorities immediately moved him by helicopter to Eau Claire Hospital in Wisconsin, where he underwent leg surgery and still needs more surgeries before going home.
Meanwhile, Drake was airlifted to a hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he received medical treatment. The 36-year-old mother of two was taken to Eau Claire Hospital, while Jocelynn was pronounced dead at the accident site.
Whitwam, from Durand, also lost his life in the car crash. He was driving alone when his car crossed the median and collided with the Passon family’s truck. His grieving family wrote a heartfelt obituary before his funeral, describing him as “a force of boundless energy, hard work & determination.”
Whitwam is survived by his beloved parents, Chad and Jennifer, his twin brother, Eli, his older brother, Isaiah, and his sister-in-law, Hannah. Like many boys his age, the teenager loved playing baseball and was loved by his teammates and friends. No one knew that the young man’s life would end so soon in a devastating incident.
Besides Whitwam’s parents and siblings, his grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and a special friend are also mourning his untimely demise. “While our hearts are heavy, let us honor Ethan’s memory to all who were lucky enough to know him,” his obituary read.
Meanwhile, the Passons mourned their young daughter’s untimely demise. To help them during their difficult time, someone close to them, Chris-Adonica Heminover, set up an online fundraiser on GoFundMe. She said:
“The sudden loss of Jocelynn has left the family’s hearts shattered.”
Through the fundraiser, the organizer aimed to collect $50,000, which would help the family arrange a funeral for Jocelynn and cover additional expenses. “Jessica will be away from work for an undisclosed amount of time and will be traveling back and forth between Waseca and Eau Claire,” Heminover explained.
“Your support will not only alleviate the financial burden but will also provide them with the emotional strength to navigate these devastating times,” the organizer wrote in the fundraiser’s description.
As of now, the family has raised over $53,000 through 773 donations. People also shared words of support for the grieving family, hoping the messages would make them feel better.
While the Passons mourned the loss of their beautiful little girl, the police continued their investigation and released a second statement that mentioned the names of the deceased and the injured.
“The double fatal crash from 8/4/2023 remains under investigation,” the Pepin County Sheriff’s Office press release said. The authorities also sympathized with the people associated with the deadly collision.
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