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Three hurt in Main Street collision
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| Rescue workers and AirEvac personnel get Rex Savage, 20, of Hamilton, Ill., settled before flying him Monday to University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. The helicopter landed on Main Street near the intersections with Bank and North 27th streets in Keokuk - just a few yards from a three-vehicle crash that resulted in three people being injured. |
By Cindy Iutzi/Gate City Staff Writer
A three-vehicle crash that injured three people Monday afternoon in Keokuk was caused by a speeding car, according to authorities.
The driver of the car, Rex Savage, 20, of Hamilton, Ill., was taken by air ambulance from the crash scene to University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. A hospital spokesperson described Savage's condition this morning as “fair.”
Drivers of the other two vehicles, Charles Burnett, 51, of Hamilton and John Pennock, 77, of Warsaw, Ill., were taken from the scene by Lee County EMS to Keokuk Area Hospital.
Burnett later was transferred by ambulance to the U of I Hospitals where he was treated and released. Pennock was still in the hospital in Keokuk this morning and listed in good condition.
Keokuk Police Chief Tom Crew said at about 2:25 p.m., an undercover investigator with the Lee County Narcotics Task Force radioed in that he was going to go after a car speeding on Main Street and asked for back up. The task force officer estimated the vehicle was going about 60 to 80 mph north on Main Street and was running red lights.
“The car was going so fast, and was so far ahead of him that when the officer was at the bottom of the hill where Shopko used to be, he couldn't see him,” Crew said. “As he drove up the hill he saw a white cloud appear.”
As the officer crested the hill, he saw a green pickup, the Pennock vehicle, spinning in the oncoming lanes of Main. A second task force vehicle was behind the lead unmarked vehicle, each running with their grill emergency lights, Crew said.
Lowell Junkins of Montrose was southbound on Main Street about two cars behind the Jeep involved in the crash near Beef, Bread and Brew and Pizza Plus.
“I was coming toward downtown and all of a sudden I saw the maroon car hit that (dark green) pickup,” Junkins said. “It looked like the guy in the maroon car knocked that truck clear over into the other side of the street and it hit the Jeep. The maroon car spun in the other direction.
“Then immediately three guys surrounded the maroon car and pulled their guns on him.”
When it became evident the driver of the car was incapacitated, one of the men stayed with him and the other two went to help the drivers of the Jeep and pickup, Junkins said.
“These narcotics guys know what they're doing,” Junkins said. “They couldn't have moved any faster.”
Crew said Savage had nothing to do with any drug-related stop, investigation or anything else involving the task force. That task force men had followed him and were on the accident scene was happenstance.
“They did draw their guns for their safety and the safety of others,” Crew said. “You don't know what to expect in situations like these. Nationwide, officer deaths are already at a high this year.”
Eye witnesses on the sidewalk near Beef, Bread and Brew Restaurant said they saw the maroon car driving at a high rate of speed westbound on Main. Behind the maroon car was an unmarked, black pickup with flashing emergency lights.
Austin O'Donnell, 14, Keokuk, said the driver of the car seemed to lose control and spun around. The crash happened so fast, he wasn't exactly sure how it happened.
Crew said there was no high-speed chase. The task force officers were trying to keep the vehicle in sight and were so far back they didn't see the wreck take place.
“Savage drove right into the back of Pennock's vehicle propelling it into Burnett's vehicle in the oncoming lane, knocking it into the Pizza Plus gravel parking lot,” Crew said.
The force from the spinning 2002 Chevy Silverado on the 2002 Jeep Wrangler was so strong the Jeep's back seat ejected and was found 30 feet away in the road.
“If there had been passengers, they would have been ejected,” Crew said. “It's a miracle no one was injured any worse than they were.”
He attributes the relatively moderate injuries to all of the drivers wearing seatbelts.
Officials directed traffic away from the scene and prepared a landing zone in the middle of Main Street near the intersection of North 27th and Bank streets for the AirEvac helicopter. Traffic was rerouted until the vehicles, all totaled, were removed. The fire department later cleared debris from the scene and washed the roadway.
Keokuk Fire Department first responders used the jaws of life to free the driver of the Jeep and the driver of the maroon car. The door and door frame of the Jeep had to be cut to get Burnett out of his vehicle.
In addition to forcing open Savage's door, fire personnel used the jaws of life to pull the front end of the car away from the front seat area before extricating the driver. A couple of rescuers secured a log chain around the engine compartment and frame and used the jaws of life to pull the engine back, away from the driver.
“They assessed the scene and recognized it would require extrication,” said Fire Chief Mark Wessel, who helped direct traffic away from the accident scene. “They got to the most critical injuries first. They took the door off of the Jeep and then worked on the car.”
Arial 2 and Rescue 3 each carry a jaws of life.
A second shift was called in to stand by at the fire station in case of any other call.
The Iowa State Patrol reconstructed the accident. Crew said Savage has not yet been interviewed about the crash and why he was driving at such a high rate of speed. He will send someone to the hospital to talk to Savage and expects there will be citations.
“Once again the KPD is investigating a major traffic accident involving people from a different state,” Crew said. “It took every resource. This was a terrific job of law enforcement and rescue personnel working together.”
The driver of the car, Rex Savage, 20, of Hamilton, Ill., was taken by air ambulance from the crash scene to University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. A hospital spokesperson described Savage's condition this morning as “fair.”
Drivers of the other two vehicles, Charles Burnett, 51, of Hamilton and John Pennock, 77, of Warsaw, Ill., were taken from the scene by Lee County EMS to Keokuk Area Hospital.
Burnett later was transferred by ambulance to the U of I Hospitals where he was treated and released. Pennock was still in the hospital in Keokuk this morning and listed in good condition.
Keokuk Police Chief Tom Crew said at about 2:25 p.m., an undercover investigator with the Lee County Narcotics Task Force radioed in that he was going to go after a car speeding on Main Street and asked for back up. The task force officer estimated the vehicle was going about 60 to 80 mph north on Main Street and was running red lights.
“The car was going so fast, and was so far ahead of him that when the officer was at the bottom of the hill where Shopko used to be, he couldn't see him,” Crew said. “As he drove up the hill he saw a white cloud appear.”
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Lowell Junkins of Montrose was southbound on Main Street about two cars behind the Jeep involved in the crash near Beef, Bread and Brew and Pizza Plus.
“I was coming toward downtown and all of a sudden I saw the maroon car hit that (dark green) pickup,” Junkins said. “It looked like the guy in the maroon car knocked that truck clear over into the other side of the street and it hit the Jeep. The maroon car spun in the other direction.
“Then immediately three guys surrounded the maroon car and pulled their guns on him.”
When it became evident the driver of the car was incapacitated, one of the men stayed with him and the other two went to help the drivers of the Jeep and pickup, Junkins said.
“These narcotics guys know what they're doing,” Junkins said. “They couldn't have moved any faster.”
Crew said Savage had nothing to do with any drug-related stop, investigation or anything else involving the task force. That task force men had followed him and were on the accident scene was happenstance.
“They did draw their guns for their safety and the safety of others,” Crew said. “You don't know what to expect in situations like these. Nationwide, officer deaths are already at a high this year.”
Eye witnesses on the sidewalk near Beef, Bread and Brew Restaurant said they saw the maroon car driving at a high rate of speed westbound on Main. Behind the maroon car was an unmarked, black pickup with flashing emergency lights.
Austin O'Donnell, 14, Keokuk, said the driver of the car seemed to lose control and spun around. The crash happened so fast, he wasn't exactly sure how it happened.
Crew said there was no high-speed chase. The task force officers were trying to keep the vehicle in sight and were so far back they didn't see the wreck take place.
“Savage drove right into the back of Pennock's vehicle propelling it into Burnett's vehicle in the oncoming lane, knocking it into the Pizza Plus gravel parking lot,” Crew said.
The force from the spinning 2002 Chevy Silverado on the 2002 Jeep Wrangler was so strong the Jeep's back seat ejected and was found 30 feet away in the road.
“If there had been passengers, they would have been ejected,” Crew said. “It's a miracle no one was injured any worse than they were.”
He attributes the relatively moderate injuries to all of the drivers wearing seatbelts.
Officials directed traffic away from the scene and prepared a landing zone in the middle of Main Street near the intersection of North 27th and Bank streets for the AirEvac helicopter. Traffic was rerouted until the vehicles, all totaled, were removed. The fire department later cleared debris from the scene and washed the roadway.
Keokuk Fire Department first responders used the jaws of life to free the driver of the Jeep and the driver of the maroon car. The door and door frame of the Jeep had to be cut to get Burnett out of his vehicle.
In addition to forcing open Savage's door, fire personnel used the jaws of life to pull the front end of the car away from the front seat area before extricating the driver. A couple of rescuers secured a log chain around the engine compartment and frame and used the jaws of life to pull the engine back, away from the driver.
“They assessed the scene and recognized it would require extrication,” said Fire Chief Mark Wessel, who helped direct traffic away from the accident scene. “They got to the most critical injuries first. They took the door off of the Jeep and then worked on the car.”
Arial 2 and Rescue 3 each carry a jaws of life.
A second shift was called in to stand by at the fire station in case of any other call.
The Iowa State Patrol reconstructed the accident. Crew said Savage has not yet been interviewed about the crash and why he was driving at such a high rate of speed. He will send someone to the hospital to talk to Savage and expects there will be citations.
“Once again the KPD is investigating a major traffic accident involving people from a different state,” Crew said. “It took every resource. This was a terrific job of law enforcement and rescue personnel working together.”
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