Iowa State Patrol Fatality Reports for Saturday, March 26, 2011

Every Saturday this law firm posts the current Iowa State Patrol fatality and injury report list so our Iowa clients, out-of-state clients and potential clients have access to the latest word from the Iowa State Patrol. If you have questions about what the investigating officer's report means, or how to interpret it, give Steve Lombardi a call at 515-222-1110 or send him an email at sdlombardi@aol.com. Here are the injury reports for March 26, 2010.

We have four minimal reports and an equal number of full reports to discuss today. The first collision is out of Sac County and involves a minivan and a semi-truck, some snow, ice, slick roads, too much speed, a failure to maintain a proper lookout and also to drive using due care. The end result is one driver lost control, slid out of control, crossed the center line and hit a semi-truck. It's pretty straightforward, and requires little if any discussion. When the roads aren't clear slow down, maintain a proper lookout and drive using an extreme amount of due care. Consider for a moment that you can crash into a semi-truck at 5 mph and do far less damage than at 55 or 65 mph.

Next we head to Jasper County for a two-vehicle collision. The one being driven by a young man crossed the center line and apparently struck the other head-on or nearly so. The other car, a Ford Explorer appears to have had at least only one person in it (54 years of age) - the driver was killed in the crash. The officer's indication of the accident being under investigation probably means they are doing blood work and if that blood work comes back with a sufficient amount of alcohol or drugs the driver of the pickup truck could be charged criminally. Of course when you come across the center line you'd better have a good reason and ice and snow isn't going to cut it. Why? Because slippery road conditions are in plain view, the driver's know about Iowa's wintery road conditions and everyone has to contend with them. It's not like coming onto a condition of ice on the road while you're out driving some nice sunny day in July.

Onward to Polk County we find the description of an accident between a 1998 Ford Crown Vic operated by an 18-year-old gentleman stopped on the side of the road and a second vehicle being driven by an 84-year-old man. The older guy is driving a 1999 International brand semi-truck and crashes into the rear of the Crown Vic. From the narrative Justin Liggins is stopped in the breakdown lane of eastbound I-80 at the 138 ½ mile marker when for some unknown reason the guy from Grand Meadow, Minnesota driving his semi-truck somewhat on the shoulder ran it right into the kid sitting on the shoulder. As a lawyer several things come to mind. First, why didn't the old guy see the Crown Vic? Did the kid have his emergency flashes on? Second, why was he driving partially on the shoulder? Even if the kid didn't have on his emergency flashes did the semi-truck driver have on his headlights? The accident occurs at 2352 which is 11:52 p.m., or just before midnight.  Obviously it was dark so why didn't the driver see the car? Was the truck driver distracted with a phone, his internet connection, a laptop computer, talking to dispatch or someone else? The truck driver died so we aren't likely to have a clear explanation. Apparently his truck went into the ditch and turned over on its top killing the driver. No matter what's important to learn from this crash are two things: 1. Use your emergency flashes to make your vehicle more visible. 2. Eliminate distractions for the driver; pay attention to your driving. Possible negligence: Driving too fast for the conditions, failing to drive using due care and driving on the shoulder.

We end the minimal reports by heading on over to Franklin County for a single car accident that killed the driver. The driver was ejected from the car. All I can say is wear your seat belts because if you experience a rollover or other type of crash that causes anything not strapped down to be thrown about the passenger compartment you're more likely to prevent serious injury or death if you are wearing a seatbelt and shoulder harness.

Okay that's enough for today. On the blog this week I'll discuss the fatal accidents from Des Moines, Muscatine, Adair and Franklin Counties.

Minimal Reports

• 1. A crash occurred in Sac County on March 25, 2011
  
  DRIVER OF VEH 2 LOST CONTROL DUE TO 100% SNOW AND SLUSH COVERED
  ROADWAY, COLLIDED WITH VEH 1 IN NB LANE OF HWY 71 BOTH
  VEHICLES WENT INTO WEST DITCH OF HWY 71 DRIVER OF VEH 2 DIED
  AT SCENE AS RESULT OF COLLISION.
• 2. A crash occurred in Jasper County on March 24, 2011
  
  WESTBOUND VEHICLE 1 ON COUNTY ROAD F62 HIT EASTBOUND VEHICLE 2
  WHEN 1 CROSSED THE CENTER LINE HEAD ON ACCIDENT UNDER
  INVESTIGATION CHARGES PENDING OUT COME OF INVESTIGATION ...
• 3. A crash occurred in Polk County on March 22, 2011
  
  VEHICLE 1 WAS PARKED PARTIAL ON OUTSIDE SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE
  80 EASTBOUND LANES, VEHICLE 2 REAR ENDED VEHICLE 1, CAUSING
  VEHICLE 2 TO ROLLOVER AND COME TO REST ON ITS TOP IN THE DITCH,
  DRIVER OF VEHICLE 2 WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED AT THE SCENE BY POLK
  COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER, ACCIDENT UNDER INVESTIGATION..
• 4. A crash occurred in Franklin County on March 20, 2011
  
  VEHICLE 1 WAS NORTHBOUND ON S25 WHEN IT LEFT THE ROADWAY AND
  ENTERED THE EAST DITCH AND ROLLED, THE DRIVER WAS EJECTED FROM
  THE VEHICLE AND CAME TO LAY IN THE FIELD NEXT TO S25...

Full Reports

• 1. A crash occurred in Des Moines County on March 16, 2011
  
  UNIT 01 WAS SOUTHBOUND ON HWY 61. A BICYCLIST WAS SOUTHBOUND ON HWY 61 IN FRONT OF UNIT 01. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BUMPER OF UNIT 01 STRUCK THE REAR TIRE OF THE BICYCLE. AFTER IMPACT THE BICYCLE AND CYCLIST WERE THROWN ONTO THE NORTH DITCH AND SHOULDER. THE DRIVER OF UNIT 01 PULLED ONTO THE NORTH SHOULDER AND STOPPED. AT THIS LOCATION HWY 61 CURVES AND IS TRAVELING EAST AND WEST. THE SOUTHBOUND VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING WEST, INTO THE SETTING SUN WHICH CAUSED A GLARE. AT THIS LOCATION HWY 61 IS A 4 LANE DIVIDED ROADWAY. THERE IS A CONCRETE PORTION OF THE SHOULDER WHICH EXTENDS PAST THE FOG LINE. THE BICYCLE WAS NEAR THE FOG LINE AT IMPACT. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE BICYCLE WAS IN THE TRAVEL LANE OR ON THE CONCRETE PORTION OF THE SHOULDER WHEN IT WAS STRUCK.... [Gasaway of Ft. Madison in a Ford Taurus and Garrels on a bike.]
• 2. A crash occurred in Muscatine County on March 14, 2011
  
  VEHICLE #1 WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON X30 WHEN IT WENT OFF THE ROADWAY. VEHICLE #1 WENT ON THE WEST SHOULDER INTO THE WEST DITCH, WHERE IT STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT. VEHICLE #1 AND DRIVER #1 VAULTED INTO THE AIR AND CAME TO REST IN THE WEST DITCH.... [Good of West Branch on a motorcycle.]
• 3. A crash occurred in Adair County on March 13, 2011
  
  VEHICLE 1 WAS WESTBOUND. THE DRIVER OF VEHICLE 1 LOST CONTROL FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. VEHICLE 1 WENT INTO THE MEDIAN, ROLLED OVER, AND CAME TO REST ON ITS WHEELS IN THE MEDIAN FACING NORTH. THE DRIVER OF VEHICLE 1 WAS EJECTED THROUGH THE SUNROOF OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER OF VEHICLE 1 WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. [Ogden of West Des Moines in a 2008 PRT, SW - whatever that is.]
• 4. A crash occurred in Franklin County on March 13, 2011
  
  UNIT 1 WAS NORTHBOUND ON BALSAM AVE WHEN THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL ENTERING THE EAST DITCH. UNIT ONE THEN ROLLED AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN A FIELD BEFORE COMING TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP. DRIVER OF UNIT 1 WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. [Holmes of Rowan in a 1998 Ford F-150.]