Rock Valley, Iowa — A Rock Valley man has died as the result of an accident on Monday, December 18th, 2017.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office reports that about at 3:40 p.m., 20-year-old Zachary Van Den Top of Hull was driving a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica southbound on Fig Avenue, just east of Rock Valley. They report that 84-year-old Albert Van Zanten of Rock Valley was driving a 2011 Ford F‐150 pickup westbound on 305th Street, also known as B14. And they say 37-year-old Jerry Gladis of Brandon, SD was driving a 2017 Savanna refrigerated food truck, eastbound on 305th Street. (305th Street is the road that curves north on the northeast edge of Rock Valley near the ball diamonds.)
According to the accident report, Van Den Top allegedly failed to stop for the stop sign at 305th Street and struck the Van Zanten pickup at the intersection. The impact forced Van Zanten’s pickup into the eastbound lane where it was struck by the Gladis truck.
A passenger in the back seat of Van Zanten’s pickup, 89-year-old Cornelius Van Zanten of Rock Valley, was transported by the Rock Valley Ambulance to the Hegg Memorial Hospital in Rock Valley, where he was pronounced dead as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.
The Rock Valley Ambulance Squad also took the driver of the pickup, Albert Van Zanten, and another passenger, 83-year-old Donald Postma of Rock Valley to Hegg Memorial Hospital for treatment of their injuries.
The Chrysler sustained about $8,000 in damage. The Ford sustained an estimated $25,000 in damage. The Savanna truck sustained about $5,000 in damage.
The Sheriff’s Office reports that the Rock Valley Police Department, Rock Valley Fire Department, and the Rock Valley Ambulance Squad assisted at the scene. They say that the accident remains under investigation.
