A man from the northwest Iowa town of Remsen was killed in a skid loader accident on Saturday. Nineteen-year-old Alex Renken was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation of the accident shows Renken was assisting Andrew Vaske, who was operating the skid loader. The two were putting fence posts into the ground.
Renken was holding the posts while Vaske would push the posts into the ground with the skid loader. Vaske had put dirt into the bucket for added weight in pushing the posts. As Renken was holding a post, the skid loader began to tip forward, the weight in the bucket causing the skid loader to tip all the way forward.
The skid loader bucket struck and pinned Renken. Renken’s body was transported to Floyd Valley Hospital for examination.
By Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars