By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Calhoun County, IA – A rollover crash involving a charter bus transporting the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team left one person dead and several injured Wednesday morning in rural Calhoun County.
According to Iowa State Patrol Trooper Paul Gardner, the crash occurred at aaproximately 11:06 a.m. Wednesday as Iowa State Patrol troopers responded to a crash on IA HWY 4 near 220th Street outside of Twin Lakes that involved the college’s bus.
An Iowa Department of Public Safety press release Wednesday afternoon stated the Iowa Lakes Community College bus went off the roadway and overturned in the ditch. According to the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency, an additional six occupants in an Iowa Lakes van were not involved in the accident. Trooper Gardner tells KHBT news that all 33 occupants on the bus suffered injuries, ranging from minor to serious.
The name of the one fatality is currently being withheld. UnityPoint Health is reporting that 10 individuals were transported to UnityPoint-Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge and two others transported to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Iowa Lakes Community College issued a statement confirming the charter bus was transporting the school’s baseball team to Harrison, Arkansas for a pair of games against North Arkansas College on Thursday and Friday when the crash occurred. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Iowa State Patrol was assisted on scene by Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency, Calhoun County EMS, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Dispatch, Manson Fire, Pomeroy Fire, Rockwell City Fire, Farnhamville Fire & EMS, Lohrville Fire & EMS, Manson Police Department, Rockwell City Police Department, Pomeroy Police Department, Stewart Memorial Hospital and off duty personnel, Loring Hospital, Trinity Regional Hospital, Pocahontas Community Hospital, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DOT, Fort Dodge Police Department, Fort Dodge Fire Department, Gowrie EMS, Dayton Rescue, Otho Fire, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Sac County EMS, Pocahontas EMS, Fonda EMS, Pocahontas EMA, Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Agencies, Methodist Flight, Mercy Flight, Mid Iowa Towing, and Region 7 Disaster Coordinator.