WRIGHT COUNTY — Two Belmond residents were killed Friday evening following a two-vehicle collision on Highway 69 involving an illegal maneuver.
The Iowa State Patrol reports that the fatal accident occurred at approximately 7:26 p.m. on April 3, 2026, at the intersection of Highway 69 and 200th Street in Wright county.
According to the crash report, 65-year-old Michael Thomas Mickelson of Belmond was traveling southbound on Highway 69 in a 2000 Ford Ranger. Authorities state that Mickelson attempted an illegal U-turn and was subsequently struck by a southbound 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by 25-year-old Mcain Alan Hefti of Dows.
The impact claimed the lives of both occupants in the Ford Ranger. Michael Mickelson, who was wearing a seatbelt, and his passenger, 71-year-old Ellen Kay Countryman, also of Belmond, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The report noted that Countryman was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The driver of the Dodge Ram was not listed with injuries in the initial report. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Bonstetter Towing.
The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Belmond Fire and Police Department, Belmond EMS, and Bonstetter Towing. The accident remains under investigation.