Jill Burnham Obituary, Death; – A 34-year-old woman from Brainerd, identified as Jill Burnham, tragically lost her life after being struck by a vehicle on Saturday, December 14, on an icy road in East Gull Lake. To support her family with medical bills and memorial costs, a GoFundMe campaign has been established, accessible at tinyurl.com/mr2vkbe4.
The GoFundMe page expressed, “We would love to honor her legacy by carrying her dear and wonderful, loving husband, Sean, through this unimaginable time.”
At approximately 3:56 p.m. on Saturday, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received emergency calls regarding a pedestrian involved in a vehicle accident on Gull Lake Dam Road, near the intersection with Poplar Drive, as reported by Sheriff Bryan Welk.
Upon arrival, deputies and first responders discovered that a 2023 Ford Bronco was traveling westbound on Gull Lake Dam Road when it slowed down due to a pickup truck parked in the same lane. The driver of the pickup was conversing with Burnham, who was walking on the road. The Bronco’s driver lost control on the icy surface while attempting to decelerate, resulting in the collision with Burnham.
Burnham received initial treatment at the scene before being transported to Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd, and subsequently transferred to a hospital in St. Cloud, where she succumbed to her injuries later that day.
A search warrant was executed, and a blood sample was taken from the 57-year-old driver of the Bronco, a resident of Nisswa, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Cass County Attorney Benjamin Lindstrom indicated that formal charges are pending the results of the blood sample analysis by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the crash scene reconstruction conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol.
Assistance at the scene and during the investigation was provided by the State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Nisswa Police Department, Lakes Area Rescue, and North Memorial Health Ambulance.
