As of this week, there have been 191 fatal traffic accidents on Iowa roads, down from 227 at this time last year. 2009 ended with 372 fatal crashes total, and 2010 is shaping up to have even fewer. Fatalities have not been this low since World War II times.

Paul Rierdan explains this lowering in fatal crashes, despite police budget cuts:

“I think technology has helped a great deal. They locate problems areas. In general I think all departments, city state and county all do that. They locate their areas where they’re having problems, fatalities, bad accidents, speed complaints, whatever and then we can concentrate on those areas.”

The state also has a 93% compliance rate when it comes to buckling up and is the second best ranked state in the nation in terms of alcohol related fatalities.

If you or someone you love has been in a car accident, contact the  Iowa Auto Accident lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C. by calling 877-327-2600 today.

An Iowa Department of Public Safety Spokesperson said that police located an unfinished text on the girl’s cell phone. Radio Iowa quotes Iowa DPS spokesperson Jessica Lown, “‘Unfortunately, we have some evidence to indicate that she may have been texting while she was driving and it may have been a contributing factor to the accident that took her life,” Lown said.’”

Iowa has officially made it illegal to text and drive simultaneously. This year, motorists will only receive a warning for the dangerous behavior. Next year, the fines will ensue.

One of the cars involved in the accident may have crossed the center line and caused the accident. When medical officials arrived to the scene, the three teenagers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. One teenager was in critical condition.

One van apparently was hit by another van trying to make a turn, causing a third vehicle to lose control and rollover. When medical officials arrived to the scene of the accident, the couple in the car was taken to Iowa City hospital.

If you or anyone you know has been injured in a car accident, contact the Iowa car accident attorneys of LaMarca & Landry, P.C., at 877-3270-2600.

Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, the teacher was riding his bike westbound on Highway 10. He was intending to participate in Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa this summer, friends and school staff told police.

About 3 miles from Marathon, the teacher was struck by a car driven by an 18-year-old former student. Both rider and driver were heading westbound into the setting sun, and the driver was unable to see the bicyclist.

The teacher was taken to Pocahontas Community Hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Police had not filed any charges.

The man apologized to friends and family of his own as well as of the victims in court, saying “I’m so sorry. I wish I could bring everybody back so we could hang out again. I’ll do everything I promised to do. I love you all.”

When the crash occurred, the man had just left a party at a friend’s place. He was driving eastbound on East River Drive in Scott County around 11:12 p.m. when he struck a pickup truck containing four people.

Three of the people in the truck were killed immediately, and the driver was severely injured. The drunk driver as well as his passenger were both injured as well.

Police who arrived at the scene were able to determine from the extent of the damages to the vehicles that the drunk driver had also been speeding significantly over the speed limit.

The accident occurred around 8:30 p.m. when the driver of a pickup truck did not yield properly to oncoming traffic on Highway 71. When he entered the highway, he was struck by a van, resulting in a collision that sent the van driver to Spencer Hospital with abdomen injuries.

Two other adults and four children in the van suffered non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck was also injured in the collision, but with less serious injuries than what the occupants of the van received.

The pickup truck driver told police that he was blinded by the setting sun as he turned onto the highway and as a result did not see the oncoming van.

Police report that the 19-year-old Bettendorf driver of a 1995 Cadillac was westbound on Locust when he swerved across the center line, crashing headlong into an eastbound 1997 Chevy SUV driven by a 24-year-old Rock Island man.

A 23-year-old woman who was riding as a front-seat passenger in the Cadillac was killed immediately. The 19-year-old and another passenger in his car, an 18-year-old woman, were injured and taken to a nearby hospital.

Medical authorities expect those who survived the crash to make a full recovery.

The collision occurred only a few hours ago today on Highway 30 near the town of Beaver. Emergency personnel closed to highway in an effort to facilitate their response.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, Jessica Lown, said that the victims names will remain unreleased until their families have been notified. She also asked that motorists steer clear of the area for the time being so as not to jeopardize the safety of emergency responders.

Why the accident occurred is currently unknown. Investigation is ongoing.

Previous charges include speeding, leaving the scene of an injury accident, reckless driving, and failure to maintain control,

The 46-year-old Norwalk man failed to stop for a stop sign at Southeast Tone’s Drive and Southeast Creekview Drive in Ankeny, police said.

He collided with a minivan driven by a woman and her three children, aged 5 months, 3 years, and 5 years old.

All four occupants of the minivan were seriously injured. The 5-year-old and 5-month-old both died while in hospital care.

The 46-year-old man was injured but is expected to make a full and rapid recovery.