2 Teens Dead, 3 Hurt In Crash After Bonfire Party; 14-Year-Old Was A Driver, Police Say Alcohol Found

CHISAGO CITY, MN — Two teenagers were killed and three others were injured in a head-on crash early Saturday morning in Chisago City, according to the Lakes Area Police Department.

Officers were called to the intersection of Stacy Trail and Ivywood Trail at about 1:58 a.m. on Oct. 25, where they found a 2014 Toyota Camry and a 2000 Toyota 4Runner that had collided.

The Camry was being driven by a 14-year-old boy and carried two 15-year-old passengers, while the 4Runner was driven by a 17-year-old boy with an 18-year-old male passenger, police said.

One of the 15-year-old boys in the Camry, Jax Affolter, died at the scene. The 17-year-old driver of the 4Runner, Jonathan Schwarz, was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries but later died, police confirmed.

The three other teenagers involved remain hospitalized with serious injuries.

Alcohol was found at the scene and may have been a factor, according to investigators. The Minnesota State Patrol’s Accident Reconstruction Unit is assisting with the ongoing investigation.

The five teenagers “were at a bonfire party earlier that evening,” the mother of one of the boys told the Star Tribune.

The police chief told the newspaper that investigators are looking into who supplied the alcohol suspected of playing a role in the crash, whether any adults violated the law by allowing underage drinking, and why a 14-year-old was allowed to drive.

Responding agencies included the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, Chisago City Fire Department, Stacy-Lent Fire Department, Lakes Region EMS, M Health, and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.