STATE CENTER — A 41-year-old Iowa woman was killed and a 15-year-old driver suffered life-threatening injuries in a head-on collision Friday afternoon, November 6, 2026, after the teenager attempted to pass other vehicles in a designated no-passing zone on a Marshall County roadway, according to the Iowa State Patrol.
The Iowa State Patrol identified the woman killed as Lindsey Richelle Daleske, 41, of McCallsburg, Iowa.
The crash occurred at approximately 4:07 p.m. near the intersection of Eastman Avenue and 190th Street, north of State Center.
According to the State Patrol’s preliminary investigation, Daleske was traveling northbound on Eastman Avenue in a 2018 Kia Optima when a 2013 Kia Sorento approached from the opposite direction.
The Sorento was being driven southbound by a 15-year-old juvenile whose identity has been withheld by authorities.
Investigators reported that the teenage driver attempted to overtake other southbound vehicles despite traveling through a marked no-passing zone.
During the attempted maneuver, the Sorento entered the opposing lane of traffic and collided head-on with Daleske’s northbound Kia Optima.
The collision left both drivers seriously injured.
UnityPoint EMS transported Daleske to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The 15-year-old driver also sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital for emergency medical treatment.
Authorities have not released the teenager’s identity or additional information about the juvenile’s medical condition.
The State Patrol’s crash report indicates Daleske was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
The teenage driver was wearing a seatbelt, which the report identifies as having saved the juvenile’s life.
Both vehicles were removed from the crash scene by Central Iowa Towing.
The fatal collision triggered a response from multiple law enforcement and emergency agencies.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper Kyle Slifka, assigned to District 1, investigated the crash with assistance from additional State Patrol troopers.
Responding agencies included the State Center Police Department, State Center Fire and EMS, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, UnityPoint EMS and the Marshalltown Fire Department.
The State Patrol’s preliminary findings identify the attempted passing maneuver in a no-passing zone as the sequence of events leading to the head-on collision.
However, the report does not identify any citations or criminal charges, and authorities have not announced whether additional enforcement action will result from the investigation.
The crash adds another death to Iowa’s 2026 roadway toll.
According to an ongoing tally based on Iowa Department of Transportation crash data, 244 people had died in Iowa traffic crashes through November 5, 2026, compared with 234 during the same period in 2025.
That statewide count predates Friday’s fatal collision and remains subject to revision as additional crashes and deaths are officially recorded.
The crash is documented under Iowa State Patrol case number 202600244393.
Additional information about the collision may be available through the Iowa State Patrol crash reporting system as the investigation continues.