Rock Valley, Iowa– A Sioux Center man was taken to the hospital after an accident on the edge of Rock Valley on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
The Rock Valley Police Department reports that at about 3:20 p.m., 59-year-old Ivan Sandbulte of Sioux Center was driving a 2002 Wabash semi southbound on 28th Avenue in Rock Valley. They tell us that 67-year-old Bruce Kooima of Sioux Center was westbound on Highway 18 in a 2000 Peterbilt semi.
At that intersection, Highway 18 traffic does not stop, but traffic coming from the north or south does. 28th Avenue turns into rural road Fig Avenue south of Highway 18. The report says that Sandbulte was at the stop sign for Highway 18 facing south. The officer says Sandbulte told him he saw Kooima with his turn signal on to turn north onto 28th Avenue. So Sandbulte left the stop sign and continued south onto Fig Avenue. Kooima was not turning and ran into the back bumper of the Sandbulte trailer, then went right into the ditch for another 50 feet. This accident caused Sandbulte’s grain trailer to break and corn was released on the north side of the trailer.
The Rock Valley Ambulance took Kooima to Hegg Health Center Avera Hospital. The officer says he reported knee pain.
Sandbulte’s Wabash semi sustained $800 in damages, and Kooima’s Peterbilt semi sustained $10,000 in damages.
Sandbulte was charged with failure to obey a stop sign or yield the right of way.
