2 dead, 2 injured in car crash near Hwy 146 north of Grinnell

Two people are dead following a two-vehicle crash that also injured two others on Sept. 7 at the intersection of Highway 146 and Newburg Road just north of Grinnelll, according to a press release sent to Newton News from the Grinnell Fire Department. The incident is being investigated by the Iowa State Patrol.

At approximately 12:46 a.m., local first responders were dispatched to the car crash. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered two vehicles in the southeast ditch of the intersection. One victim with minor injuries had already removed themselves from the vehicle prior to the fire department’s arrival.

According to Iowa State Patrol crash reports, 45-year-old Ana Ramirez-Avalos and 27-year-old Maria Jesus Garcia-Alcocer, both of Marshalltown, were killed in the crash. Earl Weaver, 61, and Mary Miller, 68, both of Conway, South Carolina, were injured in the crash, with the latter needed to be air-lifted by MercyOne.

The vehicle driven by Weaver was going eastbound on Newburg Road and failed to stop at a stop sign, striking the second vehicle driven by Ramirez-Avalos, who was traveling southbound on the highway. Firefighters had to extricate Miller, who was in critical condition.

Grinnell Fire Department was on scene for about two hours providing personnel, extrication equipment and an ambulance; they were assisted by Poweshiek County Dispatch, Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, Grinnell Police, Iowa State Patrol, MercyOne and Midwest Ambulance.