Word spread fast through the tiny town of McHenry, North Dakota, bringing a wave of deep grief that nobody was prepared for. Devin Moritz, a twenty-three-year-old with his whole life ahead of him, was killed late Friday night in a devastating two-vehicle wreck out on State Highway 20. Friends, family, and neighbors are now left clutching tight to memories of a young man taken way too soon.
It all went down around 10:15 p.m. on July 24, 2026. Devin was behind the wheel of his 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, heading northbound on the quiet stretch of highway through Stutsman County. The night was clear, but somewhere near mile marker 34, roughly six miles north of Courtenay, things took a sudden and fatal turn.
According to state troopers, Devin’s truck drifted out of its lane for reasons investigators are still trying to figure out. The Chevy crossed right over the center line into oncoming traffic. It bumped straight into the path of a southbound 2019 GMC Sierra, causing a violent head-on collision right in the middle of the roadway.
The impact was severe. Emergency crews rushed out to the rural crash site, but there was nothing they could do to save Devin. The young McHenry driver was pronounced dead right there at the scene.
The tragedy did not stop there. The crash also took the life of the other driver, fifty-four-year-old Wyatt Ellingson of Edgeley. His passenger, fifty-two-year-old Carrie Ellingson, survived the heavy impact but suffered serious injuries. Jamestown Area Ambulance pulled up and rushed her straight to Jamestown Regional Medical Center for urgent care.
Investigators with the North Dakota State Patrol spent hours mapping out the scene and gathering evidence. Troopers later confirmed that neither Devin nor Wyatt was wearing a seat belt when the trucks hit. State officials say the entire investigation remains open as they work to piece together every detail.
Back home in McHenry, the shock of Devin’s sudden death has hit everyone hard. Folks are coming together to lean on each other, holding onto the good times and the memories he left behind. In a tight-knit place where everybody knows your name, Devin’s absence leaves a big hole that will be felt for a long time to come.
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