INDIANOLA — A tragic Sunday evening collision in central Iowa claimed the life of a 17-year-old pedestrian after authorities say he was struck by an SUV driven by a 15-year-old.
Trenton C. Snodgrass, 17, of Indianola, died following the September 27 crash in the 400 block of West 18th Place in Indianola.
The deadly collision happened at approximately 6:00 p.m., according to the Iowa State Patrol.
Investigators said a 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer driven by Kayden L. Kenney, 15, of Ankeny was traveling eastbound on West 18th Place while Snodgrass was walking westbound in the roadway.
The State Patrol said the teenage driver applied the brakes in an attempt to stop, but the SUV was unable to stop in time and struck Snodgrass.
After the collision, the driver backed the TrailBlazer into a driveway to get the vehicle out of the roadway while witnesses called 911.
Snodgrass suffered fatal injuries and was transported by the medical examiner.
The tragedy is the latest deadly pedestrian collision on Iowa roads this year. In July, NorthIowaToday.com reported on a pedestrian who was killed after being struck by two vehicles while standing in the travel lane of Interstate 80 near Iowa City.
Days later, another pedestrian was killed after being struck by a semi while walking on Interstate 80 in Poweshiek County.
An August incident also left an Iowa pedestrian seriously injured when authorities said an unidentified driver struck a man walking along a rural Johnson County road and fled the scene.
Sunday’s crash also involved a juvenile behind the wheel. NIT recently reported on a Northern Iowa crash in which a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old was struck by a MidAmerican Energy truck, leaving four people injured.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Indianola Police Department and Indianola Fire/EMS assisted the Iowa State Patrol at the scene.
The State Patrol report identifies both Snodgrass and the driver by name despite their ages. No charges were listed in the preliminary crash report.
The circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation.
The fatal collision adds another young life to Iowa’s 2026 traffic death toll. Iowa DOT fatality figures are preliminary and can change as investigations are completed and deaths occurring within 30 days of a crash are added to the state’s official count.