Early last week, an accident occurred at the intersection of Highway 5 and West Pleasant to Hayes Drive near Pleasantville. A 21 year old Ankeny man failed to yield at the intersection, and was broadsided by another vehicle carrying four teens from Albia. All five sustained injuries, and one of the teens was flown to a Des Moines hospital via Mercy One. Pleasantville Police Chief Joe Mrstik tells KNIA/KRLS News that this kind of serious accident is one of the reasons that the speed limit on Highway 5 was recently lowered from 65 to 55. Mrstik says “research has shown that the ten mile an hour difference in speed saves lives.”

Pleasantville Emergency Services, the Pleasantville Police Department, Knoxville Fire and Rescue, Hartford Fire and Rescue, Melcher Dallas Fire and Rescue, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, and the Iowa State Patrol all responded to the scene. The Iowa State Patrol is continuing investigation into the accident.