A collision between a semi and a car has Interstate 80 eastbound and one lane of I-80 westbound blocked near the Shelby exit.  The interstate is closed from Exit 34 to 40.  Follow local detour or use alternate route if possible.  No other details are currently available.

The National Transportation Safety Board, Thursday, issued two safety recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) related to five rear-end collisions in which crewmembers failed to operate their trains at the required restricted speed. One of the crashes happened on April 17th, 2011, near Red Oak. The trains’ conductor Patricia “Trish” Hyatt and Engineer Tom Anderson, both of Creston, died in the crash. They were both 48 years old. A similar incident which occurred the following month in Mineral Springs, NC, also resulted in crewmember fatalities. Both are still under investigation by the NTSB.

All five of the NTSB’s recommendations focus on the need for railroads to  disseminate information related to these accidents to their employees, and to emphasize the need for crewmembers to operate trains in accordance with restricted speed operating rules. The other freight train accidents happened last year in Low Moor, Virginia, DeWitt, New York, and in DeKalb, Indiana. Four of the five accidents occurred on railroad lines over which Amtrak passenger trains operate. 

Because the accidents occurred on different railroads and under different circumstances, the NTSB said it was concerned that non-compliance with restricted speed requirements may be an issue affecting a broad segment of the U.S. railroad industry. Signal systems provide for the safe separation between trains. However, officials say there are times when trains are authorized to occupy the same sections of track. In these cases, safe train operations rely solely on crewmember compliance with the railroad’s restricted speed requirements. Typically, the requirements include “being prepared to stop within one-half the range of vision.” Complete understanding of and strict compliance with restricted speed requirements are absolutely mandatory to prevent catastrophic train collisions. 

(The safety recommendation letters may be found here: http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety_recs.html)

A Brayton teen escaped injury during a rollover accident that occurred Thursday night, about a mile south of Exira. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says 16-year old Cody Ray Juelsgaard was traveling south on Kingbird Avenue, at around 7:15-p.m., when he lost control of a 1998 Chevy pickup he was driving as he was negotiating a curve in the road. The vehicle began to drift to the right before it entered the west ditch and flipped onto its roof, causing about $3,000 damage.

Robert Taylor's truck

Murder suspect Robert Taylor

Authorities in southern Iowa are on the lookout for a man suspected in a homicide case. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety say the Ringgold County Communications Center in Mount Ayr received a 9-1-1 call just after 2-a.m. from 2339 – 280th Street in Mt. Ayr.  A juvenile inside the home called and reported a domestic altercation between 40-year old Robert Taylor,  and 45-year old Lori Yeager.  The responding deputies found Lori Yeager dead inside the home, the victim of an apparent homicide. Robert Taylor left the residence, and is actively being sought by authorities.

Officials say Taylor has an active arrest warrant on a charge of Murder in the First Degree.  He was last seen driving a copper (burnt orange) 2008 Ford F350 Super Duty truck with Iowa license 981 RZD.  Taylor is considered armed and dangerous.  Anyone with information concerning Taylor’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately or the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office at (641) 464-3921.

The Atlantic Police Department says one person suffered minor injuries during a collision Thursday evening at the intersection of 6th and Chestnut Streets. Officials say vehicles driven by Alisha Muzzy, of Elk Horn, and Christopher Crespo, of Atlantic, collided after Muzzy failed to stop for a red light at the intersection. The accident happened at around 6:40-p.m., Thursday. Muzzy was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment of her injuries. She was also cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Signal. Damage from the crash amounted to $5,000.