(Brayton, Iowa) – A man on a motorcycle was injured during a crash on eastbound Interstate 80 this (Saturday) morning, in Cass County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 26-year-old Carlos Alberto Espinoza Herrera (address unknown) was on the outside shoulder of I-80, riding a 2012 Honda CBR-250 motorcycle near the 59.6-mile marker (two-miles west of the Brayton/Atlantic Exit) at around 6-a.m., when he merged onto the outside lane.

As he was merging, Herrera’s cycle was struck from behind by an eastbound 2017 GMC Sierra pickup, driven by 36-year-old Shayne C. Songer, of La Vista, Nebraska. Following the collision, the pickup entered the inside lane and struck a 1993 Mack semi driven by 52-year-old James E. Noyes, of Craig, NE.

Herrera was thrown from his motorcycle and came to rest on the outside shoulder of I-80. He was transported by LifeFlight helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. His cycle came to rest in the south ditch. The pickup came to rest on the outside shoulder. No other injuries were reported.

Cass EMS, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Atlantic Police and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were among those agencies assisting at the scene. The road was blocked for at least three-hours.  A second accident happened at about the same time, on I-80 westbound, near Stuart, where emergency personnel responded to a vehicle on fire. The incident took place between Exit 93: County Road P28 and Exit 88: County Road P20 (Stuart).

No information is currently available on that situation. Video taken by passing motorists showed heavy black smoke and towering flames coming from a vehicle that was apparently in the median.