Crash west of Wellman totals two cars

WELLMAN - A pair of vehicles collided at the intersection of Highway 22 and Dogwood Avenue west of Wellman on Wednesday, totaling both cars and leaving at least one of the drivers involved with serious, but not life-threatening injuries, according to police records.

An officer’s preliminary accident report released by Washington County said the accident happened just before 4:15 p.m., when an eastbound Dodge Durango ran into a Chrysler that had stopped at a stop sign, but then allegedly pulled out without yielding to the highway traffic. The collision ended with the Chrysler blocking the roadway and the SUV in a ditch to the south, according to the preliminary report and a copy of the county’s call for service log of the incident.

The accident hospitalized Richard Harvey of Keosauqua, the driver of the SUV, who was transported by the Washington County Ambulance to the emergency room in Iowa City according to the report. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

The Chrysler driver, Patricia Butumbi of Coralville, was charged with a failure to yield, according to the report, which said police also sent a request to the Iowa Department of Transportation for re-evaluation of her driving ability. Court records show Butumbi was also ticketed in Washington County in September for failure to maintain control of a vehicle.

Both vehicles were towed from the scene by Bulltown Towing. The Wellman Fire Department, Wellman QRS, and five Washington County police officers responded to the scene, according to the call for service log.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com