2 People Are Dead After a Pickup Strikes a UTV in Benton County
An accident between a pickup truck and a UTV in Benton County has claimed the lives of two people.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the accident happened just after 4 p.m. on Saturday when a passing pickup truck struck the UTV which was making a left turn. Officials say the occupants of the Polaris Ranger UTV were eastbound on County Highway E24 about 3 miles east of Vinton. The occupants of the UTV were 76-year-old William Geater and 60-year-old Mary McElhinney, both of Vinton. The Gazette reports that officials are not sure which of the two was driving the UTV.
An eastbound Dodge Ram pickup driven by 74-year-old Francis Baldus of Jewell, Iowa began passing the UTV as both vehicles approached 68th Ave. Drive, according to the Gazette. The UTV then made a left turn in front of the pickup, and the truck hit the UTV, causing it to roll in the north ditch, and ejecting both Geater and McElhinney. The two were pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials with the Iowa State Patrol are continuing to investigate the accident.