Lester, Iowa– A Larchwood pair were taken to the hospital after a crash near Lester on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reports that at about 2:45 p.m., 16-year-old Larae VanWyhe of Lester was driving a 2011 Toyota eastbound on Highway 9 at Lester. They tell us that 83-year-old Merry Baatz of Larchwood was northbound on Dove Avenue or K30 in a 2024 Honda.
The report says that Baatz failed to yield to the traffic on the highway and pulled out in front of VanWyhe, where the vehicles collided.
The Lyon County Ambulance took Baatz and a passenger in her vehicle, 76-year-old Jerry Baatz of Larchwood, to Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock Rapids.
VanWyhe reported no injuries.
VanWyhe’s Toyota sustained $9000 in damages, and Baatz’s Honda sustained $15,000 in damages. Both were considered totaled.
KIWA Staff Photo
