Woman reported missing found dead in car crash, police and family confirm

46-year-old Jennifer Cleland of Colorado Springs, who was reported missing by family members Sunday, has died in a single-vehicle accident, police confirmed Tuesday morning.

At approximately 6:36 a.m. CSPD was notified of a single vehicle crash, located off the roadway in the 1900 block of South Circle Drive, according to a release from the department.

At the scene, officers located a vehicle in the 2100 block of South Circle Drive. Inside the vehicle they found a deceased female. The Major Crash Team responded and assumed responsibility of the investigation.

Upon preliminary investigation, officers determined that a blue Dodge Stratus was traveling northbound on South Circle Drive when it drove off the right-hand shoulder of the road, down an embankment, and hit a tree.

The driver was identified as Jennifer Cleland, who was reported missing Sunday, August 18 by family members after she failed to return home from a shopping trip on Saturday.

It’s unknown at this time if speed or impairment were factors in the crash.