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Read comments (20)Daniel Pick, 26, of Merrill, who was thrown from the farm tractor, was taken to Mercy Medical Center, Sioux City, by Mercy Air Care.
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Both men's injuries were thought to be non-lifethreatening, according to a press release from the Iowa State Police. Their conditions could not be confirmed prior to the Daily Sentinel's deadline.
The 2:55 p.m. accident occurred after Schneider, who was southbound on U.S. Highway 75 about 1 mile south of Merrill, in his tractor-trailer collided with Pick's farm tractor and two wagons in the right lane of the roadway, according to a press release from Iowa State Police.
"We're still investigating, but it appears (Schneider's) vision may have been blocked by another tractor-trailer unit," Iowa State Patrol Trooper Chad Peters said Wednesday. "Based on evidence and witnesses at the scene, it appears he never saw (Pick's) tractor."
Following the collision, the farm tractor came to rest in the center of U.S. Highway 75, closing the southbound lanes for about two hours, while the tractor-trailer came to rest partially blocking the right lane of U.S. Highway 75, according to state police.
After the accident, traffic was backed up close to 2 miles, Peters said.
Both the farm tractor and the 2005 Freightliner tractor-trailer were a total loss.
Schneider was extracted from the tractor-trailer by members of the Merrill Fire Department.
The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department, Merrill Police, Iowa Department of Transportation, Merrill Fire and Ambulance and Hinton Fire and Ambulance.
Well put Don
Let me be the last word on this sad episode. A tractor with a grain trailor is a pretty big object. If you can't see that, how on earth are you going to see an SUV, a compact car, a cyclist or a wandering toddler.
I don't believe in accidents. The word accident is a convenient term conjured up in America to keep lawyers in business. It has replaced the word, "commonsense" and tries to void the need for personal responsibility.
I'm not saying age is the reason, just that if someone with a licence can't see something sooooo big in time to react, then their actions on the road are questionable.
Mr. Pick, may you make a full recovery and I dread to think of the pain you have endured. To the many hundreds of Plymouth County farmers who earn their livelihood by towing grain trailers on the roads. As a townie, you have my sympathies and wishes that no harm will come to you.
My issue is with tractors driving on our highways, and I understand it probably doesn't pertain to this circumstance. Why can tractors, some that take up 1.5 lanes be allowed to drive on our highways with no signals, no brake lights, nothing... there are laws in place for your passenger car, why not for these tractors. And if there are laws... the police turn their head. I did not grow up in a farming community, so this is all new to me, but it just seems unsafe.
Accidents happen all the time, they are inevitable. Caution should always be used. And I agree, it's not okay to blame or point fingers in this situation. It was purely a horrible accident. Danny Pick was a college friend of mine. I have both families in my thoughts. I hope for the best for each of you.
I was detoured around merrill that day and thought to myself, "Something awfully bad had to have happened to detour us all out to the boonies". Sure enough a Semi drove through a Tractor. Just another reason to make me afraid of Semi's. They own the road. And to top it all off, the driver was 81. So many things can happen to a person in so little time once they hit a certain age. For some people that age is 50 or 60 when they start losing focus and health. For others it may not be until 90 or 100.
Would everyone still have sympathy for the Semi driver if he had killed the Tractor driver? Or if he had plowed through a family of 4?
I know I fear Semi's and I think it needs to be harder to renew your license as you choose to drive such a heavy dangerous machine.
God bless both of the injured and their families......but all in all people around this area of the county usually do the speed limit or most of the time beyond.......Life is too short to always be in a hurry....people please slow down and at least do the speed limit......hey, we can also save gas by doing the speed limit.....
My prayers are with the injured....
Both drivers are in my prayers. It was an accident that could have happened to anyone at any age. This should remind us all that we need to be more careful especially during harvest. I can honestly say that I am guilty of following the car in front of me too close and I see a lot of other drivers doing the same. We all need to follow the 2 second rule and maybe allow a couple extra seconds during harvest and planting seasons.
Once people start getting a Social Security check, they should have to drive with a DOT officer to renew their licesence. And definately not renew it through the mail!! It's not an attack on the elderly, just a safeguard. I knew of a gentleman that was almost completely blind but kept "mailing" for his license. He kept getting it too!! Young teenagers have to drive with a parent for a year as a safeguard, something needs to be done with the older generation. And in case anyone thinks I am just a "young whiper snapper", Im not. In twelve years, I would have to drive with the DOT. If I am not safe at that time, my license needs to be revoked.
To notatownie: I hope you never get old and after 80 I surely hope you don't get behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Always a farm girl. You are exactly right. No matter what the topic is someone will find a way to make an argument out of it. And the fact that it happened on this topic is sickening. 2 people are seriously injured and all these people can do is complain about how old the guy was who was driving the semi. Forget the fact that he was injured, no let's blame everything on his age. UNREAL people!
I love how everyone wants to judge the situation from the outside in. There are two people seriously injured here and fighting for their lives. This is what we need to be concerned about, not what the ages are or why it happened. Accidents happen to all of us, and it could have just as easily been a 21 year old driving that semi and had the exact same thing happen.
Notoverspent,
maybe you should consider staying off the motorcycle...
I agree with ladyskunk48. You choose to live in this area. Everybody know it is harvest time and that many of tractors/combines are out. Drivers need to be aware of how slow they actually go and how quickly you can catch up to one. Tractors have the right away and the right to be on the highway just like everybody else does. So open your eyes and drive!!!
I agree this is agriculture area and people need to be very aware that a tractor only goes about 20 miles per hour so be careful!
age in some ways doesn't matter it is driving safely the cell phones have gotten out of control I will agree but the main thing people need to remember in Iowa this is farming country slow the heck down for the farmers that is their job
It's sad people need someone to blame! Maybe he was on his cell phone, which should also not be used while driving! But at that juncture, age has no part in it. I ride a motorcycle and have been almost hit by different age groups because of distractions ( once reading a book, once on a cell phone, once just because they were not paying attention) I think everyone in a vehicle which is capeable of taking a life is responsible for paying attention. Everyone on the road needs to be aware of every situation around them all the time! May God be with all the people involved!
We should be focused on the well-being of BOTH individuals, not quarreling over driving ages. My prayers go out to the Pick family and the family of the older gentleman.
Obviously 81. matchpoint
What is the age you cannot drive a tractor/vehicle? Pointless post.
What is a 81 year old doing driving a semi truck anyway? Danny and his family are in my prayers.