A two vehicle accident north of Montezuma claims two lives

      A two vehicle accident north of Montezuma on Saturday, Sept. 13, injured four and claimed the lives of two people, including a Grinnell resident.
       The accident happened at approximately 5:32 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 63 and the Ewart Road.
    According to the Iowa State Patrol Crash Report, a 2015 Jeep Wrangler (vehicle 1) driven by Andrew J. Buttler, 18, of Freeport, Fla., was traveling eastbound on the Ewart Road when he ran a stop sign at the intersection of Highway 63 and collided with a 2016 Jeep Renegade (vehicle 2) driven by George J. Wegner 51, of Judsonia, Ark.
      Vehicle 2 was traveling northbound on Highway 63 at the Ewart Road intersection when the collision took place. 
     Both vehicles came to rest in a cornfield on the northeast side of Highway 63 and the Ewart Road (460th Avenue) intersection.
     Sydney E. Andersen, 18, of Grinnell and Aaliyah M. Martin, 18, of Carlsbad, N.M., passengers in the rear seat of vehicle 1, were pronounced dead at the scene and both were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
    Four others were injured in the accident and according to the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s report, were transported to Grinnell Regional Medical Center by the Montezuma Ambulance and medical helicopters.
They included Andrew J. Buttler, 18, of Freeport, Fla., and Martin Contreras, 18, of Hinsdale, Ill. in vehicle 1 and George J. Wegner 51, and Jessica L. Atta, 48, both of Judsonia, Ark., in vehicle 2.
    The state patrol report said the drivers and front seat passengers in both vehicles were all wearing their seatbelts. The deceased passengers in vehicle 1 were not wearing seatbelts, according to the report.
Assisting at the crash scene was the Montezuma Fire and Ambulance, Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Malcom Fire Department, East Poweshiek County Ambulance Service, Poweshiek County Emergency Management and the Grinnell Fire Department.
      Both vehicles were towed by Taylor’s Auto in Montezuma.
      The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.