MASON CITY — A Mason City teenager was injured Monday morning after his car struck a semi parked along a Highway 18 exit ramp.
The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 6:50 a.m. on August 24, 2026, to the westbound Highway 18 off-ramp near Thrush Avenue and mile marker 190.
Investigators determined that 19-year-old Roswell Palmares of Mason City was exiting the highway in a 2024 Honda Accord when the car struck the rear of a semi-trailer parked on the shoulder of the ramp.
Palmares suffered minor injuries and was transported by Mason City Fire Department medics to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center for treatment.
The semi was owned by Weaverland Farms of Ohio. Authorities reported damage to the rear axle and trailer.
The collision echoed a 2015 crash on another Highway 18 off-ramp, where a Jeep struck the rear of a parked Freightliner on the shoulder, trapping and injuring the driver.
Monday’s crash remains under investigation by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office. No citations were immediately announced.
The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the Iowa State Patrol, Mason City Fire Department medics, Nora Springs Fire Department and Lake Towing.