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Manson man dead following 4-vehicle crash Friday

Eugene Zinnel died Sunday

MANSON — Eugene Zinnel, of Manson, has died after suffering injuries in a four-vehicle chain reaction crash, a member of his family confirmed Sunday.

Zinnel passed away Sunday afternoon, according to his daughter Lori Kraft.

Online records indicate he was 78.

Three people were injured in the crash, two miles east of Manson Friday afternoon.

Zinnel was airlifted to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

Jewell Casey, of Pomeroy, and Alicia Cole, of Rockwell City, were taken to UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge.

According to Iowa State Patrol crash reports, the occupants of Cole’s vehicle were taken to Trinity Regional Medical Center, but she was the only person named in the report.

The crash happened at about 12:40 p.m.. on Iowa Highway 7, east of Van Buren Avenue.

According to crash reports, three vehicles were stopped in the eastbound lane while waiting for a pilot car to taken them through a one-lane section on Iowa Highway 7.

The highway there has been reduced to one lane due to construction.

As the three vehicles were stopped, a minivan, also heading eastbound, didn’t slow down or stop and crashed into a pickup truck which was the last vehicle in the line, he said.

The minivan was a 2008 Dodge Caravan operated by Casey, according to the State Patrol.

Casey’s minivan struck a 2006 Dodge Dakota operated by Zinnel.

The pickup then hit a 2015 Chrysler van operated by Cole and Cole’s vehicle then struck a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox operated by Marilyn Leith. Leith, whose hometown wasn’t listed in the crash report, declined medical treatment.

A tractor that was behind the minivan that caused the accident was not involved, according to Miller. The driver of the tractor was a witness.

Miller said investigators had not yet determined why the driver of the minivan didn’t stop for the other vehicles.

Iowa Highway 7 was closed between Baxter Avenue in Webster County and Van Buren Avenue in Calhoun County while the victims were tended to.

The road was reopened around 3:30 p.m.

Manson firefighters, the Manson Police Department, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, Calhoun County Emergency Medical Service, Clare Rescue Squad and paramedics from Trinity Regional Medical Center were all on scene Friday.

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