3 Hospitalized in Serious Crash Near West Union

Three northeast Iowa residents have been injured, 2 seriously, in a traffic accident near West Union.

Just before 8am Thursday, the Fayette County Sheriff got a 911 call regarding an accident at the intersection of Highway 150 and 190th Street, just south of West Union.

A northbound car driven by 23 year old Sara Shaffer of Waterloo, skidded out of control on the frost-covered road, and drifted into the southbound lane, colliding head-on with a car driven by 46 year old Kellie Blanchard of West Union.

Blanchard was trapped in her car and had to be freed by the jaws of life. She was initially taken to the West Union Hospital, then airlifted to Mayo in Rochester, Minnesota.

Shaffer and her passenger, 25 year old Shelby Shaffer of Oelwein, were also taken to the West Union hospital; Sara was later air-cared to Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

The Fayette County Sheriff was assisted at the scene by the Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DOT Enforcement Patrol, Fayette County Conservation, West Union Fire Department, and Tri-State and Fayette Ambulance services.

The accident remains under investigation.