Three people from western Iowa were killed in a crash this morning in Shelby County. The crash between a Cadillac and an SUV happened at 10:20 a.m. about four miles south of Harlan on Highway 59.
A State Patrol report shows two troopers were on traffic stops when the Cadillac, driven by 68-year-old Marcella Schwery of Panama, was traveling south and had gone around the patrol cruisers, which had their emergency lights activated. Her car collided head-on with a northbound SUV driven by 26-year-old Christina Cotant of Avoca.
Both drivers and 71-year-old Robert Schwery, who was a passenger in the car, died at the scene. Marcella Schwery and Christina Cotant were wearing their seatbelts, but Robert Schwery was not. After the impact, the SUV ended up in a ditch while the car spun around and collided with one of the unoccupied State Patrol cruisers, which was parked on the shoulder of the road.
Neither of the troopers, nor those in the vehicle they stopped, were injured.
By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic