At 9:52 p.m. on July 10, 2018, the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the 3500 block of 460th Avenue for a car accident. The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office determined a 1989 Ford F-250 pickup was being operated by Kolten Long (18) of Ringsted, IA. Long ignored the road closed signs in place at the intersection of College Drive and North Lawler Street and proceeded through the curve on to 460th Avenue. Long drove past a parked excavator that was facing north in the southbound lane. Long would realize 460th Avenue was closed due to the rail road crossing being repaired. Long turned his vehicle around on 460th Avenue and began to travel south on 460th Avenue. A northbound vehicle stopped just south of the excavator to allow Long to go around the parked excavator. Long did not see the excavator and ran into the bucket of the excavator.
Long complained of head and neck pain. Long declined medical treatment from the Palo Alto County Ambulance Service and was transported by personal vehicle to the Kossuth County Hospital.
Long’s vehicle sustained major damage and is considered a total loss. The excavator is owned by Palo Alto County. Damage to the excavator has not been determined pending a thorough inspection by the Palo Alto County Road Department.
Long was cited for failure to maintain or use safety belt and failure to obey traffic control device, both simple misdemeanors.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.