(KIWA Staff Stock Photo)
Hartley, Iowa– A Melvin girl was taken to the hospital and a Melvin fire truck was totaled after an accident near Hartley on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office reports that at about 9:35 a.m. , 16-year-old Hunter Ahrenstorff of Hartley was driving a 2006 Chevy pickup westbound on his driveway at 2734 Vine Avenue . They tell us that 41-year-old Philip Krogman of Melvin was southbound on Vine Avenue in a 1999 Chevy fire truck, and 40 year-old Paul Ahrenstorff of Hartley was northbound on Vine Avenue in a 2019 Chevy pickup.
The report says that Hunter Ahrenstorff was exiting the driveway. As he was driving westbound on the driveway, Paul Ahrenstorff was driving southbound on Vine. The reports says Paul Ahrenstorff stopped on the roadway to allow Hunter Ahrenstorff to exit the driveway because Paul Ahrenstorff was entering the driveway. Hunter Ahrenstorff’s attention was focused on Paul Ahrenstorff and Hunter did not observe the fire truck that Krogman was driving southbound. Hunter Ahrenstorff failed to yield to the right of way to Krogman and the fire truck, and the fire truck struck the pickup. The fire truck drove partially up the side of the pickup and landed on its side in the west ditch. The Ahrenstorff pickup was pushed sideways into Paul Ahrenstorff’s pickup.
The Hartley Ambulance took a girl who was a passenger in the fire truck, 11-year-old Lylia Krogman, to Sanford Sheldon.
Hunter Ahrenstorff’s Chevy pickup sustained $8000 in damages, and The Chevy fire truck sustained $30,000 in damages, and both were considered totaled. Paul Ahrenstorff’s Chevy pickup sustained $20,000 in damages.
