Hamilton County, IOWA – On Monday, March 5, 2012 at 7:30 a.m., two separate multi-vehicle collisions occurred on Highway #20 in Hamilton County near the 145 mile marker. This would be approximately three (3) miles east of Webster City. A 24-vehicle chain reaction collision occurred in the westbound lanes of Highway #20 just west of the Kamrar interchange. A second 8-vehicle collision occurred in the eastbound lanes of Highway #20 approximately ¼ mile west of the larger collision. Both collisions were due to a sudden zero-visibility situation created by a combination of fog present in the area coupled with smoke from a nearby farm place that was blowing across both lanes of Highway #20. The fire was being burnt at 2366 Neely Avenue, in rural Hamilton County by Mark Hild.
A total of 9 people reported various levels of injuries in the two collisions. No fatalities were reported. The collisions are being investigated by the Iowa State Patrol. They were assisted at the scene by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Webster City Fire Department , Webster City Police Department, Van Diest Medical Center, Trinity Regional Medical Center and Department of Transportation Highway Maintenance Division.
The collision remains under investigation. No criminal charges are anticipated.
