Two fatal crashes in central Iowa highlight the dangers at intersections

Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Des Moines RegisterDecember 13, 2023 at 9:17 PM

Two fatal wrecks this week in Central Iowa highlighted the danger of crashes occurring in intersections. Truck driver Douglas Hook, 65, of Carroll died of his injuries after being hit by another semitruck Monday in Crawford County. At around 4:43 p.m., Hook was traveling west through an intersection on Highway 141 when he was hit by another truck that was headed north on Highway 59, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report[1].

Hook was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Shortly after 7 p.m. Monday, 74-year-old Larry Young was at the intersection of Kale Road and 170th Street in Boone County driving south when another vehicle headed west failed to stop at a stop sign in the intersection.

Young was hit and then struck a power pole and some trees. The other vehicle went into a ditch. Young was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver sustained injuries, according to the crash report.[2]

Iowa has already surpassed its 2016 record of 402 traffic fatalities in a year, according to Sgt. Alex Dinkla, a spokesperson with the Iowa State Patrol. This year, 58% of the occupants who died on the road were not wearing seatbelts.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has collected data on intersection-related serious injuries from between 2018 to preliminary data from Dec.

8, 2023. Numbers from this year are subject to be edited. Intersection-related fatal crashes have accounted for 25% of all crashes in Iowa and 31% of all suspected serious injury crashes, according to their data.

So far, 2023 has seen 70 fatalities related to intersections and 344 serious injuries. Dinkla urged drivers to be patient and alert while on the road and keep an eye out for tires, debris, animals or other vehicles speeding on the roadway. He said there have even been accidents where conditions were perfect and there were no obstructions, but a driver simply pulled away from a stop sign too quickly.

"We never know when at a moment's notice that the interstate system or a roadway might be blocked or have a stalled vehicle in it that we need to come to an abrupt stop," he said. "So having patience, having a proper following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you will ensure that you are doing the utmost that you can to make sure that you and your passengers are safe in the vehicle." Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter @NoelleHannika or email her at [email protected].[3]

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fatal crashes in Iowa highlight frequency of intersection wrecks[4]

References

1. ^ according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report (accidentreports.iowa.gov)
2. ^ according to the crash report. (accidentreports.iowa.gov)
3. ^ @NoelleHannika (twitter.com)
4. ^ Fatal crashes in Iowa highlight frequency of intersection wrecks (www.desmoinesregister.com)