Two people were killed, one survived, a fiery crash between an SUV and a semi Sunday afternoon in western Iowa’s Shelby County.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 1998 GMC Envoy driven by 63-year-old John Veral Smith, of Portsmouth, was pulling a boat on a trailer west along Highway 44 at around 4:35 p.m., one-mile east of Portsmouth, at the same time a 2011 International semi driven by 64-year-old Dennis Johnson, of Luverne, Minnesota, was traveling east.
The SUV crossed the center line of the road and into the eastbound lane as it was rounding a curve. Johnson saw the SUV approaching and tried to avoid the collision by braking and steering toward the south ditch, but the semi and SUV collided head-on. Both vehicles were then engulfed by fire.
Both drivers, and a passenger in the GMC, 68-year old Mary Louise Smith, of Portsmouth, were transported to the hospital in Harlan, where the drivers of the vehicles where pronounced dead. The Patrol says all three of the crash victims were wearing their seatbelts.
By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic
