A 2-year-old child from Minneapolis, Minn., was killed on U.S. Interstate Monday about 4:15 p.m. when a semi hauling hogs rear ended a car and then rolled into the median.
The three-vehicle pileup occurred at the 99 mile marker of eastbound U.S. Interstate 80 near Dexter.
Matt Robinson, 40, of Illinois, driving a Ford passenger van, was eastbound in stop-and-go traffic near the 99 mile marker. He was followed by Bethany Marie Wheeler, 34, of Minneapolis, Minn., driving a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. With Wheeler was an adult passenger and a 2-year-old passenger.
An earlier incident, from which workers were preparing to tow a semi-tractor trailer, had caused eastbound traffic to slow. As Robinson and Wheeler sat is traffic, a Peterbilt semi-tractor trailer, loaded with hogs and driven by William Kenneth Grother, 28, of Parker, S.D., rear ended Wheeler’s vehicle and drove it into Robinson’s vehicle.
Robinson and Wheeler “were both stopped for an unrelated previous incident, and there was a big traffic backup,” according to Iowa State Patrol Trooper Alex Dinkla. He said the semi moved to the left lane but was unable to stop, and he rear ended Wheeler’s Impalla and pushing it into Robinson’s van.
“The semi then went into the median and rolled over,” Dinkla said.
Robinson and Grother were uninjured. Wheeler sustained minor injuuries and was transported to Mercy Medical Center. A front-seat passenger in Wheeler’s vehicle received serious injuries and was life flighted to Mercy Medical Center.
“There was a 2-year-old passenger that was in the rear seat that sustained fatal injuries,” Dinkla said.
“The Impalla would have been the middle car, so it got front and rear damage,” he said.
No charges have been filed, but Dinkla noted the incident “is a technical accident investigation” and “can take quite a bit of time” to complete.
“They do not believe alcohol’s a factor,” he said.
Also responding to the incident were the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, Stuart Volunteer Fire Department and Dexter First Responders. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources responded to manage the livestock.
