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Gustavus Adolphus College hockey goalie Jori Jones, a member of the Division III NCAA national championship team, has died after suffering injuries in a Minnesota car crash, school officials confirm.
The 19-year-old athlete, who was a sophomore standout from Little Canada, Minn., was with three other members of the hockey team when their car collided with another vehicle on Sunday afternoon, west of Wilmar, Minn., Minnesota State Patroltold the MinnesotaStar Tribune.
The head coach of the hockey team, Mike Carroll, told theStar Tribunethat they were traveling back from an off-season trip to Aberdeen, South Dakota “to see each other and enjoy their company.”
“There was sort of a caravan coming back,” Carroll said. “One of the cars came upon the [crash] scene. They were there while the paramedics pulled the athletes out of the car. The other group heard and doubled back.”
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Jones, who played for the Roseville Area Youth Hockey Association where her father was a coach, is being remembered for her skills on the ice — and for her “infectious smile.”
Mortenson, who was injured in the crash, also mourned the loss of her teammate.
“She was just the kindest person. I can’t even put into words how much she lighted up all of our lives," she told the news station.
Jones’ former youth team shared the sentiment as well.
“We are gutted and at loss for words,” Roseville hockeywrote on X(formerly Twitter). “Please keep the Jones family in your prayers. She was truly a remarkable human. We love you Jori.”
source: people.com
