A Minnesota man was killed this morning in a crash on an ice-covered Interstate 35 in northern Iowa. Authorities say 46 year old Bradley Jamison of Savage, Minnesota died instantly when the car he was driving slammed into the rear of pickup that was legally parked on the shoulder of the road.
The driver of the pickup had stopped to help state troopers with other motorists who had slid off the road into the ditch in Worth County. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Genie Clemens says Iowa law requires motorists to make room for law enforcement vehicles parked on the side of the road.
“If at all possible, they need to slow down and make a lane change,” Clemens said. “And if that’s not possible, slow down to a speed that’s less than the speed limit.” There have been several similar accidents on Iowa’s interstates this winter. Some crashes are unavoidable because of weather conditions, but Clemens says motorists always need to expect the unexpected.
Clemens says, “I think it’s because people are starting to pay attention to what’s going on (on the side of the road) – rather than what they are actually doing. It’s important people pay attention to what they’re doing, so they can make everyone around them safe and drive defensively.” Motorists who are cited for breaking Iowa’s so-called “move over, slow down law” can be fined $50 plus court costs.