Weather likely cause of 2 traffic deaths in western IA

Authorities say icy roads likely caused a crash that killed two people in western Iowa. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says 59-year-old Roger Page of Harlan was southbound on Highway 59 near Westphalia when he lost control on the icy roadway last night. Page’s car crossed the center line, into the path of a car driven by 52-year-old Phil Nielsen of Kirkman. Nielsen was unable to avoid the collision and the two cars collided. Two female passengers in the Page vehicle were killed in the crash. Their names have not been released. Page himself was taken to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan, and then to University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Nielsen was taken to Myrtue Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released. The Sheriff’s Office says Highway 59 was 100-percent ice-covered at the time of the crash.