(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office today (April 17th) released information with regard to four accidents that took place between April 5th and the 14th. One of the accidents resulted in a teen from Panora being flown by Life Flight helicopter to a hospital in Des Moines. Authorities say at around 8:10-a.m. on April 5th, 16-year-old Dylan McKenzie Burchfield, of Panora, was driving a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria at a high rate of speed, southbound in the 1800 block of Utopia Avenue.

The car went out of control and left the roadway to the right. The vehicle struck the west ditch and a tree before coming to rest on the driver’s side. Panora Fire and EMS responded and removed Burchfield from the car by mechanical means. Lifeflight responded to the scene due to the seriousness of her injuries and flew her to an unknown Des Moines hospital (Methodist or Mercy).  Authorities say it’s unknown what time the accident took place, but it is believed it occurred for up to 45-minutes before law enforcement was notified, due to Burchfield being trapped in the vehicle with no means to call for help. She eventually located her Apple Watch and called her father, who then called 9-1-1.  The vehicle was totaled in the crash.

On April 14th, a 1983 Ford F150 pickup driven by 31-year-old Cameron Joel Hester, of Guthrie Center, went out of control at around 2-a.m. on Redwood Avenue, and ended-up on its passenger side in the ditch. Hester was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. While the pickup was being towed from the scene, it caught fire. The flames were extinguished by crews with the Guthrie Center Fire Department. The vehicle was a total loss. There were no injuries.

An accident on April 13th caused a total of $11,000 damage to a 2012 VW Passat. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says 23-year-old Hannah Marie Stark, of Stuart, was driving the car, she struck a 2015 Hyundai Accent, driven by 24-year-old Jacob Lane Kelderman, of Waukee. The collision occurred just before 10-a.m. at the intersection of 200th Street and Highway 4. A witness said the Hyundai was facing north on Highway 4 and turning left onto 200th Street, when it was rear-ended by the VW. Stark admitted to causing the accident, which resulted in $5,000 damage to her car, and $6,000 damage to the Hyundai. No injuries were reported, and no citations were issued.

A minor, property damage accident occurred at around 9:45-a.m. April 6th, in Menlo. Authorities say 86-year-old Patricia Kay Trent, of Stuart, was attempted to turn and park in a parking spot on Sherman Street, in Menlo, when the pickup she was driving struck a legally parked 2018 Chevy Equinox. Damage from the mishap amounted to $1,450. No citations were issued.

And, at around 7:36-p.m. on April 6th, a 2021 Dodge RAM pickup driven by 62-year-old Dennis Dean Mleynek, of Panora, was backing out of a parking space in front of a bar in Jamaica, when  the vehicle scraped the driver’s side mirror and door of a parked 2019 Toyota Camry. There were no injuries. Damages amounted to $3,000.