Deputies Busy with Accidents, Some with Animals

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office has been kept busy, responding to traffic accidents, some of them involving local wildlife.

An eastern Iowa teen is being charged with causing a two vehicle accident, north of Fayette. It happened at about 6am Sunday (April 24) on Highway 150. A car driven by 26 year old Timothy Jones of West Union, was southbound, when an oncoming car, driven by 19 year old Tyler Poll of Bellevue, crossed the center line. According to the Fayette County Sheriff, Poll had fallen asleep at the wheel. Jones tried to avoid a head-on collision by veering toward the shoulder of the road, but he was sideswiped by Poll's car. Both vehicles were totaled. Jones sustained a minor injury, while Poll was not hurt. He was charged with driving on the wrong side of the road. The highway was blocked by the wreckage for about an hour.

A Winthrop teenager has been charged in connection with a Saturday night (April 23) accident in Fayette County. Just before 9pm, east of Sumner on "W" Avenue, 17 year old Chelsey Moore attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone. As an oncoming car approached, Moore swerved to avoid collision and went into a ditch. No one was hurt, but her car, a 2008 Ford Taurus, was totaled. Moore was cited for unsafe passing.

A Strawberry Point motorist almost had a close encounter with a beaver, but instead put his car into a ditch. The accident happened just before 6am Friday (April 22) on County Road W-45, southwest of Arlington. 21 year old Tyler Borrett was driving north, when a beaver crawled onto the road. In an attempt to miss the animal, Borrett lost control and put his car in the ditch. No one was injured; the car had $1500 in damages. Borrett was cited for failure to maintain control.

And a deer wasn't quite as lucky, as it was struck by a car at about 10pm Friday (April 22), west of Clermont. 22 year old Abigail Eberling of Postville was headed east, when the deer ran out onto the road, colliding with the front of the SUV. No one was injured, but there was $3,000 in damage to the 2006 Ford Escape.