Friday about 6:30am the Iowa State Patrol was called out on the report of a multi-vehicle accident along Highway 69 north of Blairsburg in Hamilton County.
A 2021 Jeep Renegade driven by 27-year-old Cole Lantz of Williams was traveling northbound on Highway 69 and attempted to pass another vehicle. At the same time, a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by 51-year-old Carlos Castillo of Postville was southbound on Highway 69, and struck the Lantz vehicle head on, with both vehicles coming to rest in the roadway.
A 2024 Freightliner Cascadia Semi driven by 32-year-old Justin Norton of Belmond was also traveling southbound and swerved to the center line to avoid hitting the Castillo vehicle, but struck it on the way through the debris.
Lantz died from injuries sustained in the accident, while Castillo and a passenger in the Norton semi, 26-year-old Jilmer Vielman Monroy, of Belmond were both transported to the Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City for treatment of unknown injuries.
