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A Hamlin teen died and three other people were injured during a near head-on collision Wednesday night in Audubon County. The Iowa State Patrol says 17-year old Kristopher George Crawley, who was wearing a seatbelt, died at the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic following the crash, which happened at around 11:25-p.m on Highway 71, just north of Brayton.

Officials say the teen was a passenger in a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was traveling north on Highway 71, when it collided near the centerline of the road with a southbound 2006 Chevy pickup.  After the crash, both vehicles came to rest in the west ditch.

Injured in the crash, was the driver of the SUV, 22-year old Jason Robert Rattenborg, of Audubon, and two persons in the pickup, including the driver, 55-year old Kendall Lee Ware, of Lineville, and 30-year old Mark Anthony Piearson, of Leon.  Two of the injured were taken to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, the other two were transported to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital, each was taken by Exira Rescue.

The accident remains under investigation.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report the arrest Wednesday evening, of a Villisca man on an assault charge. 27-year old William Joseph Pokorny was charged with Simple Domestic assault, after deputies responded to a reported incident in the 100 block of North 5th Avenue in Villisca, at around 7:10-p.m., Wednesday.

Pokorny was booked into the Montgomery County Jail in Red Oak, where he was being held on $300 bond.

Fire officials in Council Bluffs have released the name of an elderly Council Bluffs woman who died following a house fire Wednesday afternoon. Chief Alan Byers says 77-year old Yon-Sook Kim was overcome by smoke, and died at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Byers says firefighters responded to 917 Spruce St. at around 1:17 p.m, after a neighbor called to report smoke coming from an attic vent. A utility worker on his way to a job site also called 9-1-1 when he saw heavy smoke coming from a front window of the home. Police officers arrived on the scene and kicked in the door, but were unable to enter the home due to the intense smoke.

Firefighters found the woman unconscious, in her kitchen.  A preliminary investigation indicates an accidental cooking fire likely caused the blaze. Byers says the amount of actual fire damage to the structure was limited to the hall & kitchen area, with heavy smoke damage throughout the rest of the residence. He says also, there were no working smoke detectors in the home.

An autopsy was sheduled to be performed on Kim’s body today (Thursday), at the State Medical Examiner’s office in Ankeny. The results of the autopsy will likely be released in 2-to 3-days.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety reported Wednesday that 35- year old Jason Curtis, of Glenwood, was arrested on Felony warrants charging him with Child Endangerment,  Neglect of a Dependent Person, and Willful Injury.  Curtis’  arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Glenwood Police Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.  The investigation concluded that on July 14th, 2011 in Glenwood, Curtis allegedly caused the death of his 5-month old son, Jackson Curtis during an “incident.”  No other details were released.

Authorities say if you have any information that may be of assist to officers in thier investigation, you’re asked to contact the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 712-322-1585 or the Glenwood Police Department at 712-527-4844.

The Iowa State Patrol says a Glenwood man died, and three other people were injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident late this (Wednesday) morning, in Mills County. Officials say a 2002 Jeep Liberty driven by 21-year old Timothy Scott Mahan, of Council Bluffs, was traveling west on Ellington Avenue (a gravel road), at an excessive rate of speed. As the SUV topped at hill just before noon, Mahan lost control. The vehicle entered the south ditch and rolled several times, ejecting Mahan, and his three passengers. None of vehicle’s occupants were wearing their seat belts.

19-year old Chance Erik Gunderson, of Glenwood, died in the crash. 23-year old Felicia Marie Hansen, of Council Bluffs, 19-year old Jacob Alan Wahle, of Glenwood, and the driver of the Jeep were injured. All of the injured crash victims were transported by Glenwood Rescue to Creighton University Hospital in Omaha. The accident happened a few miles northeast of Pony Creek Park.

In a report issued this week, the Iowa State Patrol says a Council Bluffs woman suffered “incapacitating” injuries last Friday afternoon, during a crash on northbound Interstate 29, near Crescent. Officials say 22-year old Ashley Jo Hogsett, of Council Bluffs, was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center by Crescent Rescue, after the 1993 Buick Regal she was driving went off the road, traveled down an embankment and began to rollover. The car continued to roll across Joslin Avenue before coming to rest in the east ditch. Officials say she was wearing her seat belt.

The Patrol says the woman was able to exit the vehicle on her own, but was laying on the ground when a Trooper arrived on the scene about five-minutes later. Hogsett told the Trooper that when other cars started coming around her vehicle, she panicked. The woman could not remember anything that happened after that.

The car was totalled in the crash. No citations were issued.

The Iowa State Patrol says a motorists attempt to avoid a speeding ticket resulted in a crash that sent his passenger to the hospital. 21-year old Kirsty Marie Newland, of Council Bluffs, suffered possble, unknown injuries in the crash that happened at around 4:30-p.m. Monday, on Highway 92 in Council Bluffs. She was brought to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Lewis Township Rescue. Officials say Newland was wearing a seatbelt.

The Patrol says the accident happened as a car driven by 20-year old James Robert Jorgensen, of Council Bluffs, was traveling east on Highway 92, and approaching the intersection with Valley View Drive. Trooper Jared Kastner said he clocked the car allegedly traveling at 76-miles per hour in a 50-mile per hour zone, while Trooper was waiting at a stop light. Kastner said in his report, that when Jorgensen saw the fully marked patrol car, he made an abdrupt attempt to slow down. In the process, Jorgensen lost control of the 2007 Hundai Tiberon, which had bald front tires. The car entered the south ditch and continued through a privately-owned fence, before coming to rest on Chickasaw Lane.

Jorgensen was not hurt in the crash. Kastner says the man was charged with Speeding, Failure to Maintain Control, and Careless Driving.

Interstate-680 in southwest Iowa may re-open well ahead of schedule. Crews have been working non-stop for several weeks to rebuild the three-mile stretch of I-680 from I-29 north of Council Bluffs west into Omaha. It was reduced to rubble because of the months-long Missouri River flood. The Iowa D-O-T’s goal was to have that section open by the end of the year but now say it might be as soon as Thanksgiving. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says funding for repairs, around 20-million dollars, will be funded by the federal D-O-T.

(Radio Iowa)