LESTER, IOWA — Two women were airlifted to a hospital in critical condition Thursday afternoon following a severe three-vehicle collision involving a propane tanker in Northern Iowa.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:22 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 9 and County Road K30, just south of Lester, in Lyon county.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2010 Toyota Corolla driven by 36-year-old Andrea Solis of Houston, Texas, was stopped at the stop sign on K30 facing north. Authorities say Solis pulled into the intersection and failed to yield to a westbound 2007 Peterbilt semi-truck pulling a propane tanker.
The semi, driven by 46-year-old Joseph Moeller of Bryant, South Dakota, collided with the Toyota in the intersection. The force of the impact sent the Toyota careening into a third vehicle—a 2001 Chevy Tracker—that was stationary in the eastbound lane waiting to make a turn.
Emergency responders called for air support due to the severity of the injuries. Solis and her passenger, 67-year-old Marga Valderrama De Barrios of Crofton, Nebraska, were both transported by helicopter to Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls.
The crash report indicates that Solis was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. Valderrama De Barrios was wearing her seatbelt, but both women remain in critical condition.
The driver of the semi-truck, Joseph Moeller, and the driver of the Chevy Tracker, 26-year-old Joel Van Veldhuizen of Larchwood, Iowa, were uninjured in the crash.
The Peterbilt semi is registered to Prairie Ag Partners out of Bryant, South Dakota. While the truck was hauling a propane tanker, the crash report indicates there was no hazardous material leak at the scene.
Stockton Towing assisted in clearing the scene. The accident remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.