MASON CITY – A Mason City man’s death has been ruled an accident, after he was found unresponsive and laying in a street.
On August 11, 2016, officers and fire medics responded to the 1600 block of South Carolina on a report of a man down. Dennis Marvin Mertz, age 65 of Mason City, was found in the street, unresponsive. Mertz was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
The investigation into the death revealed that Mertz was believed to be on a ladder attempting to free a tree branch due to a recent thunderstorm. He fell from the ladder into the street and into the path of a tractor-trailer that was traveling northbound on South Carolina Avenue. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Kevin L. Casad, age 54 of Kincaid, Illinois, reported that he saw Mertz fall from the ladder and into the street and that he stopped to help the victim and also called 911.
It is believed that the back tires of Casad’s trailer drove over Mertz as he lay in the street. There is no indication that any criminal or traffic laws were violated and no charges were filed.
Mertz’s manner of death has been ruled accidental and the cause of death was blunt force injuries.
(“-“) you should get into creative writing. Let non fiction say what it says. I totally appreciate your thought process and humor fits in almost anywhere. I would not be offended if it was my loved one. However. You would be aporeciated more in the creative writing class. Plus think of all you could do to get those college kids thinking.
What an unreal tragedy. I can see how it would trigger an odd response
May his loved ones be comforted by each other and our Father
Rest in peace.
Odd that a semi was on that quiet side street.
Fell off a ladder, run over by a semi, narrowly missed an Acme anvil falling from the sky. Alas, the coyote still got his man.
You have got to be the most ignorant person in the world – absolutely no compassion. This was someone’s brother, father, son, loved you. Maybe the Grinch will send you a heart for Christmas…………
How does ignorance relate to lack of compassion? Asshole maybe, but ignorance is the wrong adjective.
Wow! I knew Dennis and just spoke to him a few days before. He was a nice guy and healthy. What a freak accident, showing life is fragile. The semi driver stopped to help him… after he hit him??
He was hit by the back tires. Sounds to me like the semi driver swerved to avoid him but didn’t have enough space or time to get the entire trailer around him. At least he stopped and called 911! That’s more than some people would do when they don’t think anyone saw it happen.