On June 7, six people were injured as a consequence of a collision involving multiple vehicles that occurred on Interstate 29 northbound near Mile Marker 80. Multiple automobiles were engaged in the event, which was reported by the Iowa State Patrol. The chain reaction that occurred was sparked by an earlier collision that occurred in the east ditch.
According to the official report of the collision, vehicles were slowing down and moving into the fast lane as a result of the previous accident. At that moment, one vehicle, Unit 4, came to a near stop and was rear-ended by Unit 1. Unit 2 was rear-ended by Unit 6 as a result of the force of the collision, which caused Unit 4 to collide with Unit 10. The sequence of collisions that occurred caused Unit 6 to become airborne until it finally came to rest in an inverted position in the median. As the collisions continued, Unit 2 collided with Unit 3, which then collided with Unit 5 in a rear-end collision.
Six people sustained injuries as a result of the collision:
- Chad Donald Cantrall, 50 years old, of Altoona, IA
- Jens Walter Marttinen, 22 years old, of Dassel, MN (transported by EMS airlift)
- Laurie Ann Stee, 64 years old, of Gary, SD
- A 1-year-old female (transported by EMS airlift)
- A 9-year-old female (transported by EMS airlift)
- A 16-year-old male
Responders from the emergency services responded swiftly, and the injured individuals were evacuated to hospitals in the surrounding area; some of them required airlifts in order to receive more intensive medical care.
An investigation is currently being conducted to investigate the reason of the collision, and the authorities are attempting to ascertain the complete details of the occurrence. The flow of traffic on Interstate 29 was halted for a period of time as the area was cleaned up.
We are keeping the injured victims and their families in our prayers, and we are offering our best wishes for a full recovery for everyone who was involved.
