(LifeNet Helicopter At MPCH Avera In Rock Rapids - KIWA Staff Stock Photo)George, Iowa– A George man and his passenger were taken to a hospital after a crash near George on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reports that at about 4:35 p.m., 61-year-old Thomas Starr of George was driving a 2001 Ford SUV eastbound on A34 or 210th Street, four miles west of George.
The report says Starr began falling asleep, and his vehicle crossed the center line. The SUV entered the north ditch and made contact with a field drive. It came to rest near a semi parked to the north of it.
The Lyon County Ambulance took Starr to Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock Rapids. From there, he was flown by helicopter to a Sioux Falls hospital.
His passenger, 22-year-old Elizabeth Starr of George, was also taken to the Rock Rapids hospital.
Starr’s Ford SUV sustained $1,500 in damages and was considered totaled.
Starr was charged with failure to maintain control.
