One dead, one injured in Grundy County crash

GRUNDY COUNTY – A two vehicle accident around 8:30 Wednesday night left one driver dead, and another injured.
According to the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department, the accident occurred on D-17 (130th Street) approximately a mile and a half west of Highway 14, or four miles southwest of Parkersburg.
The accident occurred after a vehicle driven by 29-year-old Daniel Lacour of Aplington, which was traveling eastbound, crossed the center line and was struck by a semi traveling westbound, which was driven by 57-year-old Steven Schipper of Parkersburg.
Lacour was pronounced dead at the scene. Schipper was taken to Allen Hospital with minor injuries.
The accident remains under investigation by the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office. Assisting agencies included: Parkersburg Fire and Ambulance, Butler County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol.
This is the second vehicular fatality in Grundy County this month, and these incidents point to an increasing trend of vehicular deaths across the state, and across the nation.
According to recent reports by the Associated Press, the number of vehicle fatalities in the U.S. is up nine percent in the first six months of this year, and the number of traffic fatalities in Iowa is up 37 percent over the last two years, making Iowa one of the states with the largest increase in traffic deaths since 2014.