Sheldon, Iowa — It’s not every day that a police officer is a witness to a motor vehicle crash, but that’s exactly the position a Sheldon police officer found himself in Wednesday evening.
Shortly after 7:00 pm Wednesday (July 6th), a Sheldon police officer was eastbound on Park Street , or Highway 18, when he observed a 2009 Ford Flex, driven by 36-year-old Emily Vander Veen of Sheldon, that was southbound on Wansink Avenue, stop at the stop sign at Park Street, then proceed into the intersection, striking the right side fuel tank area of a 2009 Peterbilt semi, driven by 53-year-old Todd Collins of Sioux Falls, which caused diesel fuel to leak from the truck’s fuel tank.
For her part, Vander Veen reportedly told police that she had looked both ways and had failed to see the semi before pulling onto Park Street. According to the crash report, Collins told authorities that he swerved in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the collision.
Vander Veen was reportedly cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign and Yield Right of Way.
No injuries were reported in the collision. Damage to Vander Veen’s Ford was estimated at $7,500, with damage to the Peterbilt estimated at $15,000.
The crash caused both directions of Park Street to be closed for a time, to allow for clean up of the crash site and the resulting fuel spill.
Some photos from the incident may be viewed below (photos by KIWA Staff)
View Of The Scene From The East
Tow Truck Prepares To Remove Damaged Semi
Workers Attempt To Clean Up Diesel Spill After Crash
