From The Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office - Fatal Car Accident

The following car accident was reported by The Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office on Monday, July 1.` On June 29 at approximately 1:02 p.m., the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call from a motorist, who reported that a vehicle had run off the road and disappeared into the ditch on Highway 9, near 260th Ave. The caller told dispatch that he would pull over and park near the ditch where he believed the vehicle was. At approximately 1:09 p.m., a responder arrived on scene and observed a truck with a trailer pulled over on the north side of Highway 9, approximately 200 feet west of 260th Ave. As the caller had described, the wrecked vehicle could not be seen from the roadway. The responder entered the north ditch, through thick vegetation and observed a Toyota SUV that had rolled over and was laying on its roof. Laying on the ground was a visibly deceased male, who had been ejected from the vehicle and sustained a serious injury to the head. The man was later identified 78-year-old Rodney Carlson of Hanover, Ill. Deputy Berns interviewed the reporting party, who had stayed on scene and helped law enforcement locate the vehicle. The witness stated that he was heading west on Highway 9 when he observed a black SUV pass him at a high rate of speed. The witness stated that he believed he was driving 60 miles per hour when Carlson had passed him. According to the witness, once the SUV passed him and merged back into the west bound lane of traffic, the vehicle started swerving in front of him. The witness stated that the vehicle left the roadway, entered the north ditch and "disappeared." The witness stated that there were no other vehicles on Highway 9 when the car entered the ditch, so he pulled over to check on the driver. The witness did state that when the SUV passed him, he only observed one occupant. After the witness pulled over, he looked the field to the north of the ditch. There, he found the SUV resting on its roof. After making the discovery, the witness remained there until the deputy arrived on scene. Emergency crews searched the area for any other possible passengers. Deputy Berns confirmed from family members of the victim that he had left Decorah alone and was heading to Cresco. The vehicle was severely damaged and recovered by Don's Towing out of Decorah. The vehicle is currently at Don's Towing. The Winneshiek Medical Center EMS transported the victim back to Decorah to the Winneshiek Medical Center.