Two seriously injured in collision outside Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — Two people were seriously injured Sunday after their vehicle crashed into a planter on the highway just outside Fairfield.

According to an accident report from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, two people were taken by AirCare to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for injuries they suffered from the collision. The collision occurred at about 5:35 p.m. Sunday, May 22 at mile marker 213 on Highway 34, between the south and east exits outside Fairfield.

An SUV driven by Timothy Bannister, 44, of South Carolina rear-ended a large Kinze tractor hauling a planter at a high rate of speed. No pre-crash skid marks were observed at the point of impact, according to the report, indicating no evasive maneuver was performed.

Bannister and a passenger in the vehicle, Jessica Bannister, 30, also of South Carolina, were transported by AirCare to Iowa City. The collision report indicates that the passenger was in stable condition at the hospital, but the driver was still on life support as of Tuesday, May 24.

Jefferson County Sheriff Bart Richmond said the SUV also contained a 3-year-old, but there was no report of an injury to the child.

The driver of the tractor was uninjured. That was Kevin Clingan, 59, of Fairfield.

Richmond said it’s not clear what caused the accident, since it was not near an intersection, and it does not appear that the SUV was attempting to pass the tractor. The collision report states “Appears driver [of SUV] possibly fell asleep or was distracted by being on a cell phone.”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com