Minnesota dance community mourns loss of Claire Jeske, 15, killed in Lake Crystal crash

A southern Minnesota dance community is mourning the death of 15-year-old Claire Alyssa Jeske, who was killed in a crash Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office says the collision occurred just after noon at the intersection of county roads 20 and 11 near Lake Crystal, about 12 miles southwest of Mankato.

A 40-year-old driver and his 32-year-old passenger, both from Lake Crystal, were traveling northbound in a pickup truck, which had the right of way when it collided with an eastbound sedan, carrying Jeske and 17-year-old driver Braydon Mitchell Kral.

The sheriff's office says Kral, of New Ulm, "suffered serious injuries" and was airlifted to a hospital. Jeske, of Hanska, was found "deceased at the scene."

The men in the pickup truck were "assessed by paramedics at the scene" and didn't need further treatment, the sheriff's office says.

New Ulm's Just For Kix chapter posted a tribute to Jeske on social media Thursday, including a photo from her final performance in St. Peter on Saturday, one day before her death.

"Please help us in honoring her memory and keep her loved ones in your thoughts," wrote a Just For Kix spokesperson.

The Minnesota State Patrol is assisting with the investigation.