A Minnesota mother of three was killed last weekend in a devastating crash that authorities say unfolded after a dispute between a former couple ended with a pickup truck slamming into her car.
Janelle Marie Swenson, 42, died at the scene of the collision, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Jack Leroy Daniel Drumbeater, 41, has been charged with manslaughter and third-degree murder. His former partner, Kerri Ellen Hart, 38, who authorities say was behind the wheel of the truck, faces a charge of criminal vehicular homicide, officials said.
Swenson’s family remembered her with grief and love in her obituary, writing: ‘She was unjustly taken from us way too young and way too soon in this senseless tragedy, but the POSITIVE imprint Janelle left on her family and friends will be with us FOREVER.’
According to witnesses cited by the Star Tribune, the chaotic sequence began at a gas station when Drumbeater went inside the store. Hart then allegedly moved into the driver’s seat of the truck and sped away.
As the truck took off, Hart struck Drumbeater, who witnesses said grabbed onto a box in the flatbed. He then punched out the rear window and managed to climb into the cab, the report said.
Hart later told authorities she was punched in the head and said she does not remember the crash, which occurred shortly after Drumbeater got inside the cab, according to the report.
One witness said the truck traveled roughly two and a half blocks from the gas station before crashing into Swenson’s car. The force of the impact left her trapped inside the vehicle, preventing first responders from potentially saving her, officials said.
Hart told police she had ended her relationship with Drumbeater shortly before the fatal crash. She said he arrived at her friend’s home, asked to go for a ride, and then warned her not to leave.
Janelle Marie Swenson’s death was allegedly caused after a fighting couple struck her vehicle with a truck
Swenson and her husband, Josh Swenson, raised three children in Minnesota. Her obituary describes her as an outdoorswoman with a passion for fishing, hunting, motorcycles and horse riding
Drumbeater reportedly hit her and had weapons in the truck, including an axe, bat and club. She said he warned her not to ‘try anything funny.’
Camera recordings and witnesses said Hart was driving when the crash happened but Drumbeater insisted he was behind the wheel when talking to the police.
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Police officers found 1.4 grams of methamphetamine and paraphernalia inside the truck. Drumbeater admitted to smoking meth that morning. Hart said she smoked a few days before but was trying to stay sober.
The truck that Drumbeater and Hart killed Swenson with was not even their own. The actual owner of the truck arrived at the scene of the murder to report that his truck was stolen.
On top of the charges relating to the crash, Drumbeater faces drug possession and motor vehicle charges. He reportedly got angry after officers told him that Hart would be charged in the killing of Swenson too.
During the crash chaos, Hart also suffered life-threatening injuries and was transferred to the neuro-care unit at Essentia Hospital in Duluth before being booked into jail a few days later, the Star Tribune reports.
Jack Leroy Daniel Drumbeater, 41, was co-responsible for the crash that killed Janelle Swenson and is charged with third degree murder, among other charges. The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota, did not have a mugshot of his ex-partner Kerri Ellen Hart
The truck crashed into Swenson’s car and trapped her in the vehicle which prevented first reponsers from potentially saving her life, according to reports
Swenson’s obituary thanked first responders and the strangers who helped.
The tribute also describes her as an outdoorswoman with a passion for fishing, hunting, motorcycles and horse riding.
‘She had a tenacious personality, never letting a horse win after being bucked off. Janelle always got back on… She was a dedicated hunter and excellent shot, bagging many bucks except “da 30-point buck,”‘ it reads.
She and her three children raised grand champion rabbits that they entered at the Itasca County Fair in Minnesota. She was often in the garden and was described as compassionate and down-to-earth.
Swenson is survived by her husband Josh Swenson and children Jayden, JD and Josie. She recently became a grandmother.
Our News Outlet contacted the family for comment. Swenson’s funeral is scheduled for August 29.
