DELAWARE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – At approximately 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday, the Iowa State Patrol responded to the 1500 block of 240th Street in Manchester for a report of an ATV accident. Investigators say a four-wheeler was traveling westbound on 240th St. when it lost control and entered the north ditch. The four-wheeler bottomed out and ejected all riders. One rider was struck by the ATV and sustained fatal injuries. The person has not been named publicly pending notification of family. The accident remains under investigation.
ALTOONA, Iowa (KCRG) – The trial has been set for the lawsuit claiming Adventureland’s negligence was to blame for the death of an 11-year-old at a theme park in 2021. Michael Jaramillo, 11, who was a Linn-Mar student, died after a raft on the ride capsized, pinning the riders underwater. Michael’s older brother David was seriously injured in the incident, spending a month in the hospital. David Sr., the father, shattered his shoulder attempting to lift the raft after it flipped. The family filed a lawsuit last June alleging that no staff from the park came to help and the ride was allowed to continue to operate, with thousands of pounds of water continuing down the river despite the parents’ screams for help. The lawsuit says Adventureland knew the Raging River ride had experienced mechanical issues before and even the morning of the accident, including rafts hitting the bottom, but the ride kept running. It also claims employees staffing the ride were not trained properly and could not respond quickly to the raft flipping. And it says Adventureland had locked gates that delayed ambulances and firefighters from reaching the Jaramillos sooner. The trial is set for March 11th, 2024.
TAMA, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — A man is behind bars in Tama County after firing a gun, yelling, and possessing drugs. Tama County 911 received a call on Wednesday evening of a man yelling and screaming for 20-30 minutes in the 500 block of McClellan Street. The caller heard a gunshot while speaking to dispatch and more yelling. Toledo Police, Meskwaki Police, and Tama County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and heard multiple gun shots. One of the officers noticed a man walking in the 500 block of State Street and arrested him. The man was identified as Gabriel Alvarez and he’s being held on a $30,000 bond. Alvarez was charged with the following:
- Drug Tax Stamp
- Controlled substance violation
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Forgery
- Reckless use of a firearm
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Public intoxication
- Disorderly conduct
POCAHONTAS COUNTY, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — A Hartley, Iowa man was killed after a two-vehicle crash early Thursday morning in Pocahontas County. Iowa State Patrol responded to that crash on Highway 4 near 440th Street around 2:30 a.m. They say a GMC Sierra crossed the center line and collided with a Semi. The driver of the GMC, identified as 75-year-old Richard Leth of Hartley, died at the scene. The driver of the semi was not injured. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by Iowa State Patrol.
