Girl, 12, on Way Home from Funeral Killed in Head-on Crash

A 12-year-old Wisconsin girl who was traveling home from a funeral died in a car crash last week that left her father, mother and brother hospitalized.

The Pepin County Sheriff’s Office in Durand, Wisc., said in a news release last week that Joeclynn Passon, 12, was pronounced dead at the scene of the two-car crash, which also killed the 18-year-old driver of the other vehicle.

Police said Ethan Whitwam, 18, was driving alone when his car veered across the center lane, crashing into the Waseca, Wisc., family’s pickup truck in what police called a “very serious” head-on collision.

A passerby “was eventually able to pull the trapped occupants from the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the passerby, who was soon joined by three other people, “immediately began providing medical aid to the victims of the crash.”

Authorities said Joeclynn’s father Steven Passon, her mother Jessica, and her 8-year-old brother Drake were all injured in the crash and taken to local hospitals. 

Jessica, 36, was treated and released from the hospital, while Steven, 40, and his son suffered what police called “critical injuries.” 

A GoFundMe set up to help the family said the Passons were traveling home from a relative’s funeral in Wisconsin when the crash occurred. 

“Their truck started on fire,” the fundraiser said. “Jessica was able to get out of the truck and pull both children out of the back seat, bystanders were able to pull Steve out of the front seat.”

The fundraiser said Drake, the 8-year-old, was discharged from a hospital in Minnesota last Saturday, while his father suffered “extensive leg injuries and has multiple surgeries ahead of him.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“The sudden loss of Jocelynn has left the family's hearts shattered,” the fundraiser said. “As the family grapples with grief, they are faced with the daunting task of arranging a proper farewell for Jocelynn.”

In an obituary, Whitwam was remembered as "a force of boundless energy, hard work & determination, and had a love for all things that define the fabric of small-town life."

Police said the fatal crash “remains under investigation” by the sheriff’s office, as well as the Wisconsin State Patrol.

“The Sheriff’s Office extends our sympathies to all those involved and impacted by this tragic incident,” the department said.

ncG1vNJzZmiolaS9rbGNnKamZ6eewKS7zaygp2WXnr%2BtedaasGagn6KybrLUp5yrmZxisaqx0mafnpmUYryvecKrmKygXWyDdIKVb20%3D