VENTURA — Two people were transported to a Mason City hospital Wednesday, November 4, 2026, after a pickup truck driver allegedly failed to stop at a rural Cerro Gordo County intersection and collided with another vehicle north of Ventura.
According to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at approximately 12:11 p.m. to a two-vehicle injury accident at the intersection of 270th Street and Balsam Avenue.
Investigators said 63-year-old Joseph Anderson of Lake Mills was driving southbound on Balsam Avenue in a gray 2015 Chevrolet Silverado.
At the same time, 49-year-old Freddi Vega Garcia was traveling eastbound on 270th Street in a white 2024 Toyota Tacoma.
According to the sheriff’s office, Garcia failed to stop at the posted stop sign on 270th Street and collided with Anderson’s pickup at the intersection.
Anderson and his passenger, Cathy Anderson, sustained injuries and were transported by the Clear Lake Fire Department to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.
Authorities did not disclose the severity of their injuries or provide an update on their medical conditions.
The sheriff’s office did not report whether Garcia was injured.
The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation. No citations or criminal charges were announced in the initial release.
The Clear Lake Fire Department, Ventura Fire Department and Clear Lake Police Department assisted deputies at the scene.
The collision is the latest in a series of injury accidents investigated on rural Cerro Gordo County roads.
In June, NorthIowaToday.com reported that two people were hospitalized following a crash near Clear Lake, when an SUV collided with a semi at another rural intersection.
Another September crash near Dougherty left a woman with suspected major injuries, after two vehicles collided at an intersection where tall corn reportedly obstructed visibility.
The Ventura-area crash also follows other emergency responses in the community, including a December 2025 incident in which a Ventura firefighter was struck and injured by a vehicle at an accident scene.
Wednesday’s accident remains under investigation by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office identified the incident under case number CG2601098.