The Perry Police Department issued no citations in the two-vehicle rollover accident Friday afternoon on Iowa Highway 141 in Perry.
A minor driver with three young children escaped injury when the vehicle they were in rolled over three times after leaving the roadway of the eastbound lanes of Iowa Highway 141 in Perry.
The four-door Toyota passenger car driven by the underage driver collided with a Diamond Oil tanker truck driven by Harrison Johnston, 25, of Grand Junction about 4:15 p.m. Friday in the 20200 block of Iowa Highway 141.
Johnston truck said he was traveling in the right lane when the Toyota passed him on the left and then immediately pulled into the right lane and slowed to turn into the Mid-Iowa Family Therapy Clinic at 20244 141st St., causing the truck to strike the car from the rear.
Dave Anliker of Perry said he and his wife, Angel Anliker, were following the vehicles. He said the Toyota rolled three times before coming to rest upright in the south ditch just east of the entrance to the clinic.
The car sustained extensive rear-end damage and left a large amount of debris in its wake. The front right tire of the tanker truck was flattened in the incident, and the front right fender and bumper were damaged.
In its breaking story, ThePerryNews.com said the Toyota was driven by a woman with four child passengers, but the Perry Police Department report said no adult was in the car, which instead was driven by a licensed teenager with three young passengers.
“People do make mistakes,” Angel Anliker said, “and so do young drivers.” She said the “driver of the full oil truck did an amazing job controlling his rig. His tire was blown, and this could have been an entirely different situation. The car flipped three times, hitting a culvert. The smart kids were all wearing seat belts, which I am sure helped to save their lives!”
David Anliker took the lucky outcome as an Easter miracle.
“God was present,” Anliker said. “So many things could of went wrong. The tanker guy did a great job controlling his full load. Remember, we where all stupid kids at one time. It’s something she will never forget. So on this Easter weekend, let’s thank God no tragedy.”
The Perry Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff’s office responded to the incident.
