MONTICELLO, MN — A Monticello pastor and his 3-year-old son were killed in a crash in South Dakota last week after a wheel broke free from a stock trailer and struck their vehicle on Interstate 90. The crash also seriously injured the pastor’s pregnant wife and left their 11-month-old baby with minor injuries, according to South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Authorities said the Honda Odyssey was traveling eastbound around 2 p.m. on Oct. 12 near mile marker 292 when the wheel came off the trailer being pulled in the westbound lanes. The wheel crossed the median and hit the family’s vehicle, causing catastrophic damage. A fundraiser for the family said the windshield broke and the wheel tore through the roof of the car.
South Dakota Highway Patrol says the wheel crossed the median and slammed into the Honda
Highway Patrol identified the driver who died as 31-year-old Stephen Fletcher Clayton of Monticello. His 3-year-old son was also killed in the impact. The agency said everyone in the Honda was wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
The crash remains a devastating example of how a mechanical failure in one lane of traffic can turn into a fatal event for another vehicle several hundred feet away. In this case, the wheel came off a trailer traveling in the opposite direction, then crossed the median before striking the Honda in the eastbound lanes.
Investigators have not publicly detailed why the wheel separated from the trailer, and the patrol has not announced any charges or enforcement action tied to the crash. What is clear is that the sequence unfolded quickly and left the family with severe consequences in a matter of moments.
Katie Clayton was airlifted to Sioux Falls after suffering jaw and face fractures
Katie Jayne Clayton, 24, was seriously injured in the collision. According to the family’s fundraiser, she was airlifted to Sioux Falls for treatment and underwent reconstructive surgery for jaw and face fractures.
The fundraiser also says she is pregnant and that her unborn child was unharmed. The baby who was already in the vehicle suffered only minor injuries, according to Highway Patrol. Those details paint a picture of a family that survived the crash physically in part, but was left facing a long recovery and a profound loss.
Officials have described Katie’s injuries as serious. No further update has been released about her condition, and the family’s recovery is still unfolding after the crash. The combination of severe injuries, the death of a parent and child, and the care needs of an infant has left the family facing multiple medical and emotional challenges at once.
The family fundraiser describes the crash as a sudden and violent impact
A fundraiser set up for the Clayton family says the wheel shattered the windshield and tore through the roof of the Honda. That description helps explain the extent of the damage and why the consequences were so severe for everyone inside the vehicle.
While the fundraiser’s information has not all been independently verified by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, it echoes the broad outline provided by South Dakota Highway Patrol about the wheel striking the Honda after crossing the median. The collision happened in daytime traffic, leaving little warning for the family in the eastbound lanes.
When a loose wheel becomes a roadway hazard, the danger can extend far beyond the vehicle that lost it. In this case, the impact reached a family traveling in the opposite direction and transformed a routine drive into a fatal crash.
Funeral plans are being arranged as the family and community respond
The family’s fundraiser says a funeral for Stephen Clayton and his 3-year-old son is reportedly scheduled for Friday in Mounds View. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS said it was still waiting to verify that information, along with other details from the fundraiser.
Clayton was a pastor in Monticello, and news of his death has resonated far beyond the crash scene. For the family, the immediate focus is on medical care, funeral arrangements and support for the surviving children and Katie Clayton’s recovery.
At the same time, the case has drawn attention because of how abruptly the fatal chain of events began. A wheel separating from a trailer on one side of Interstate 90 ended with a Minnesota family grieving a father and young child while another parent fights to heal.
What officials have confirmed so far about the fatal Interstate 90 crash
South Dakota Highway Patrol has confirmed the date, time and location of the crash, along with the identities of the victims and the injuries to the surviving passengers. The agency said the Honda was heading east on Interstate 90 near mile marker 292 when the wheel crossed the median and struck it.
It has also confirmed that Stephen Fletcher Clayton and his 3-year-old son died, while Katie Clayton and the infant were injured. Beyond those facts, many questions remain unanswered publicly, including what caused the wheel to detach and whether the trailer or vehicle involved had any prior issues.
For now, the crash stands as a tragic interstate collision that claimed two lives and left a young family with lasting pain. The patrol’s findings and any additional information will likely determine whether more details emerge about how the wheel came loose in the first place.