16-Year-Old MN Girl Killed in Collision with Sheriff Deputy

A 16-year-old northern Minnesota girl was killed Tuesday when her vehicle collided with an Itasca County deputy on Highway 169. The incident took place near County Road 69 in Greenway Township.

An Itasca Co. sheriff deputy was responding to a medical situation with emergency lights activated when he was involved in the head-on collision. The Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) reported that Sierra Rose Matthews, 16, of Pengilly, Minnesota, was headed westbound on Highway 169, lost control of her vehicle and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.

Matthews collided head-on with 32-year-old Cory Michael Rondeau's squad car. Rondeau did not suffer any injuries, MSP reported.

The road conditions were reportedly snowy and icy.

Jeff Britten, the principal at Greenway High School, said in a Facebook post addressed to parents that Matthews was junior there.

Britten said all high school students were given the news of the incident and the current status of their classmate by their teachers Tuesday afternoon:

Resource people from the county and our community are at the school today and available to support students individually or in groups to help with the emotional stress felt by our students and staff. These people implemented a support system based on our crisis plan to assist students who needed to talk about this incident. We will continue to have them available throughout the coming days. While many students have been supported today, it will be very important for us to work together to make sure students continue to get the support they need in the coming days.

Image via Minnesota State Patrol