Two Harbors,MN : Four-year-old killed in crash on November, Monday 20th 2017

Four-year-old Cole Makwa (Bear) Penn-Hogen was supposed to start preschool this year. The clothes his mom bought for the occasion are hanging in the closet, but Cole won't be wearing them.

On Aug. 16, Cole was killed in a car crash just outside of Two Harbors. The same crash injured his 20-month-old brother, Jack Bineshi (Little Bird) Penn-Hogen, and his father, Joseph R. Penn, 28, of Duluth.


According to State Patrol reports, the boys and their father were in a northbound vehicle on Highway 61 when they crossed into the southbound lane, colliding head-on with a vehicle driven by Allana M. Miller, 25, of Ontario, Canada. Possible charges are pending, and the accident remains under investigation.

The boys' mother, Brianne Hogen, 33, lives in Two Harbors, and has just started a new job with the Costley Law Firm. On Tuesday, she had just brought Jack home from the hospital, and said he has lots of physical therapy ahead of him.

"He didn't break any bones, but he had lots of muscle trauma," she said. "He can't turn his head, and he has a hard time walking."

At the same time Brianne is making Jack comfortable and seeing to his injuries, she's planning the funeral for Cole, known to the family as Coley-Bear.

"He was such a light," she said. "He was a very expressive child, and he loved everyone."

Although, at age 4, he hadn't had much of a chance to make a mark on the wider world, Cole was already popular with his 11-year-old brother Ethan's friends.

"They treated him like their younger brother," Brianne said.

Cole loved to skate board, and he also loved music. He had a toy guitar that he strummed while singing--to the top of his voice--the music and lyrics he made up himself. His favorite food was pancakes, downing four or five in one sitting. He loved playing outside, riding his bike endlessly round and round in the driveway.

"And he loved to dress in a style all his own," Brianne said. "He'd change his clothes over and over throughout the day just because he liked to."

On Wednesday, Joseph Penn was still a patient in St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth. Miller suffered only minor injuries.

Source :
Four-year-old killed in crash