Becker Man Charged In I-94 Crash That Killed South Haven Woman

(KNSI) — Charges have been filed against a Becker man accused of hitting a stopped car on Interstate 94, killing the driver.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, on the morning of October 27th, 2024, 60-year-old Julie Terwey was heading east on 94 just before 5:30 when she hit a deer at Brockton Lane in Dayton. Her Ford Escape was stopped in the center lane following the crash when she was rear ended by a Mazda CX-5 driven by Jordan Thomas Land. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Terwey was pronounced dead at the scene. Now, investigators say Land was on his phone at the time of the crash and didn’t brake for the stopped SUV until less than one second before impact.

The criminal complaint says Land told troopers his phone was stashed elsewhere while he was listening to a podcast and he didn’t know why the crash happened. He later told investigators he may have been on the phone around the time of the crash. A forensic investigation shows repeated Facebook and TikTok activity during his drive, along with Google searches. Investigators say the phone was connected to the vehicle by Bluetooth, and that no podcast app was running. The State Patrol’s reconstruction report shows Land’s speed at between 70 and 85 miles an hour and no braking activity until 0.133 seconds before the crash.

Land has been charged in Hennepin County District Court with one felony count of criminal vehicular homicide for operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.

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