← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · jay
Thread ID: 4294 | Posts: 2 | Started: 2003-01-02
2003-01-02 23:08 | User Profile
[url=http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/1864593/detail.html]http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/1864593/detail.html[/url]
I-80 Crash Kills 9 People West Of Des Moines Pickup Truck Slams Head-On Into Semitrailer
POSTED: 7:02 a.m. CST January 2, 2003 UPDATED: 4:00 p.m. CST January 2, 2003
DES MOINES -- Nine people died early Thursday morning in an accident 30 miles west of Des Moines on Interstate 80.
Iowa State Patrol officials said a pickup truck heading east from Omaha, Neb., crossed the median and hit a semitrailer head-on around 2:30 a.m. The impact ripped the pickup truck completely apart.
A second semitrailer was also involved in the crash and hit the first semitrailer after the accident with the pickup truck.
Authorities said there were nine people inside the pickup truck and all were ejected and killed. The truck has a Colorado license plate.
Lt. Robert Hanson said officials believe they know the identity of the driver, who had an identification card. He said the "other eight people are suspected to be part of a smuggling operation." Hanson said all eight were adult men and women of Hispanic origin.
The accident happened at mile marker 86 near the Greenfield exit. Troopers quickly closed the westbound lanes of the interstate to clean up the accident. Westbound lanes were closed for more than 7 hours.
Authorities said the first semitrailer driver, William Hansen, 55, of Pisgah, Iowa, was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.
A light dusting of snow was on the ground at daybreak, but it's not known if that contributed to the accident several hours earlier. Officials are also looking into the possibility that the pickup truck driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
Authorities said they are continuing their investigation and working to identify all of the victims.
2003-01-03 17:08 | User Profile
When this was a news item on the radio yesterday, of course no mention of the occupants' race was made, but I thought to myself, "there's another truckload of dead meskins."