Two persons died in a late-night incident in rural northwest Iowa involving a tractor and an SUV.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, a crash occurred in Carroll County around 10:30 p.m. on April 14 at the intersection of 220th Street and Hawthorne Avenue, several miles southwest of Carroll.
According to authorities, a tractor was driving east on 220th Street when it failed to stop at the intersection’s stop sign. At the same time, a Hyundai Santa Fe was heading north on Hawthorne Drive.
The tractor collided with the driver’s side of the SUV and then drove away.
The SUV’s driver and a passenger were both pronounced deceased at the scene of the incident. Elvin Ariel Murillo Castro, 17, and Pedro Castro, 56, were the drivers and passengers, respectively.
Carlos Castro, 24, a third passenger in the SUV, was badly injured and flown to the hospital.
Troopers say the tractor involved in the crash was later discovered, and its driver, Troy Bluml, 51, was charged with knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
According to court documents, Bluml admitted to running the stop sign and causing the accident. He is also accused of not notifying anyone of the crash after leaving the site.
Bluml was booked into Carroll County Jail. He has now posted a $10,000 bond.
Bluml’s charge is classified as a Class C felony, which means he faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.