FORT DODGE – A Fort Dodge teen driver died and two persons in the vehicle were hurt when the Chevy Malibu she was driving struck a tree in a park.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident took place Tuesday, July 2, 2024. At 10:59 PM that evening, 16-year-old Leah Claire Lynch of Fort Dodge was driving a 2013 Chevy Malibu with two passengers in Loomis Park in Fort Dodge. The Patrol says she lost control of the car and struck a tree.
As a result of the collision, Leah Claire Lynch was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger, 16-year-old Amyrra Marie Lumsden, also of Fort Dodge, was injured and airlifted to Mercy One in downtown Des Moines. A second passenger, 16-year-old Jessie Bibi Leyja, was hurt but not transported and was treated and released at the scene.
The Patrol says all three teens were wearing seatbelts. The accident remains under investigation.