Apr. 23—ITASCA COUNTY — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released the identity of the 13-year-old girl who was killed in a car crash following a pursuit on Sunday in Itasca County.
According to a release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the girl as Angelica Bryan, of Cass Lake.
According to a preliminary investigation by the BCA, at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, an Itasca County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a 2003 Honda Odyssey for driving with no headlights.
The vehicle was traveling west on County Road 63 near the intersection of County Road 271 when the deputy activated their emergency lights in an attempt to pull the vehicle over, the release said.
The driver, later identified as Bryan, failed to stop and accelerated away from the deputy, who initiated a pursuit. During the pursuit, the vehicle reached speeds estimated to be over 90 mph, the release noted.
The Minnesota State Patrol deployed a stop stick tire deflation device during the pursuit, but it failed to make contact with the vehicle’s tires, the release said. Bryan continued to drive with no headlights on State Highway 6 and drove off the roadway just east of County Road 11, where the van collided with a tree and came to a stop.
Bryan was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of the injuries she suffered in the crash.
The BCA’s preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle driven by Bryan was a stolen vehicle that was taken that night from a residence in Cohasset, the release said.
The BCA agreed to investigate the pursuit and crash at the request of the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office to avoid a conflict of interest. No physical contact was made with the vehicle by any officer’s squad involved in this pursuit.
This pursuit and crash remain under investigation and no further details are available, the release said.