GREENE COUNTY, IOWA – An Iowa woman lost her life after authorities say she grabbed the steering while trying help the driver of a car she was riding in that was venturing onto the shoulder of the road.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, on Saturday, December 26 at about 6:47 PM, a 2005 Chevy Malibu was southbound on Highway 25 north of 280th Street in Greene county. The vehicle began to enter the road shoulder when the passenger, 20-year-old Sydney Thomas of Des Moines (a female), grabbed the steering wheel, reportedly in an attempt to help the driver, 20-year-old Ashley Andrews of Scranton, Iowa, correct the vehicle’s path. This action, however, caused an over-correction, and the vehicle entered the ditch and rolled twice.
Andrews, who was wearing a seatbelt, suffered only minor injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Thomas, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
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Editor’s note: This report updates an earlier version that incorrectly named Sydney Thomas as male.