Larchwood, Iowa — Eluding law enforcement ended in a crash in Larchwood, a totaled car, and a trip to the hospital for a Sioux Falls man on Sunday, September 11, 2022.
The Iowa State Patrol reports that at about 5:15 p.m., 31-year-old Bobby Olseth of Sioux Falls was driving a 2013 Hyundai eastbound on Highway 9, in Larchwood. They tell us that he was eluding law enforcement at the time of the crash. Lyon County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Rob Ver Meer tells us one of their deputies was attempting to stop Olseth for a traffic violation.
Olseth reportedly left the roadway when he failed to negotiate the curve, which goes from eastbound to southbound. The vehicle entered a yard and struck a tree owned by Wade Snyders of Larchwood and a 2003 Ford Taurus, owned by Shawn Van Zanten of Parkston, SD.
The report says that while no alcohol test was given on the scene, Olseth appeared to be under the influence, according to the trooper.
The Lyon County Ambulance took Olseth to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Olseth’s Hyundai sustained $13,000 in damages, which was enough to total the car. The Ford Taurus was also totaled, with an estimated $2000 in damages. The tree was valued at $300.
As of the time of writing of this story, no charges had been filed, but the trooper did mention in the report that speeding and operating in a reckless, erratic, careless, or negligent manner were contributing circumstances to the accident.
