(KIWA Staff Photo)Hartley, Iowa — Only minor injuries and a totaled SUV were two of the results of a freak accident near Hartley on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office reports that at about 11:35 a.m., 60-year-old Scott Wilson of Hartley was driving a 2006 Mercury SUV eastbound on Highway 18, a mile east of Hartley near White Avenue. They tell us that 49-year-old Jeremy Stueven of George was westbound on 18 in a 2006 Peterbilt semi, owned by Julius Livestock of George.
The report says that two tires (duals) came off the rear tractor axle of the semi. One of the tires struck the Wilson Mercury, causing significant damage, if not totaling the vehicle.
The deputy says there weren’t any broken wheel studs, so he’s unsure why the lug nuts fell off. He confirms the accident was caused by the loss of tires from the Stueven semi.
A passenger in the Mercury may have received minor injuries but was not taken to a hospital by ambulance.
Wilson’s Mercury SUV sustained $10,000 in damages, which was believed to be enough to total the vehicle, and Stueven’s Peterbilt semi sustained $1,200 in damages.
No charges were filed.
