Trooper praised for his actions
Eaton helped stranded travelers
- Bennett Eaton

Bennett Eaton
Checking on the drivers of vehicles that break down on the highway is a routine chore for the Iowa State Patrol, but the way that a Fort Dodge based trooper handled a recent incident has earned him praise.
Trooper Bennett Eaton went the extra mile for a couple that experienced a tire blowout, and the Cedar Falls residents praised him in a message to State Patrol leaders.
“He not only ensured we were safe, he remained with us while we were attempting to find a tow company who could assist us, provided guidance on how to move forward and even assisting my husband get the busted tire and rim off the trailer,” Kayla Krejchi wrote.
She wrote that Eaton stayed with them for 30 to 40 minutes.
Brock and Kayla Krejchi got stranded along U.S. Highway 20 near Taylor Avenue west of Duncombe on the evening of July 10, according to Trooper Paul Gardner, the public resource officer for Iowa State Patrol District 7 in Fort Dodge. He said they were going from Cedar Falls to Okoboji in a Toyota Tundra towing a pontoon boat on a trailer when one of the trailer’s tires blew out.
Kayla Krejchi wrote that the tire “essentially exploded.”
Eaton stopped to check on them.
“He could have easily checked we were OK, heard we were looking for a tow and went on his way,” Kayla Krejchi wrote.
She added that they were able to find a proper replacement tire in a Fort Dodge store and resumed their trip.