One Killed, Three Hurt In Central Iowa Parade Accident
An Independence Day parade turned tragic in central Iowa over the Fourth of July weekend.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, a Minnesota woman was killed and a three other people were injured when a car hit pedestrians who were in the road. The accident happened Saturday morning in the small Story County community of Slater, about 14 miles south of Ames.
Authorities said the accident happened as spectators were dispersing shortly after the city's parade ended. According to a crash report, a woman parked on Main Street backed up and struck several people with her car. Four pedestrians were dragged under the vehicle.
Officials said 59-year-old Mary Nienow of Albert Lea died of her injuries and 67-year-old Linda Nordstrom of Huxley was run over and left in the street. Another Huxley woman, 30-year-old Rikkie Powell, was hit and thrown from the path of the car. Six-year-old Reagan Powell, also of Huxley, was caught under the vehicle and dragged.
According to the Ames Tribune, residents and other parade spectators lifted the car off the pedestrians. The newspaper reported that someone along the parade route administered CPR to Nienow until paramedics arrived.
The child was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital with undisclosed injuries. Nordstrom also suffered undisclosed injuries and was taken by ambulance to a separate Des Moines hospital. Rikkie Powell drove herself to the hospital for treatment.
The Iowa State Patrol identified the driver as 75-year-old Karen Wheeler of Cambridge.
The incident remains under investigation.