Player in “Hostage” Game Dies from Injuries

One of the teenage boys struck by a minivan in rural Johnson County has now died of his injuries.

Jackson Charles Meardon, also known as JC, succumbed to the injuries he sustained when he was hit by a minivan Monday night on Dane Road, near Iowa City. He died Tuesday night at University Hospitals.

Meardon and two other teenage boys, were standing in the road, participating in a game called "Hostage", in which players are blindfolded and taken to a rural area where they are left, and use their cell phones to call for help and get directions.

The boys apparently thought the van, driven by Julia Elgatian of Iowa City, was a participant in the game, as they stood in the road. Elgatian's van hit two of the boys; the other teen was not as seriously injured.

Elgatian is being charged with failure to have a valid license.

The incident remains under investigation.