Early Morning Accident Kills Four in Northeast Iowa

Sometimes it doesn't take a lot of snow to make driving conditions dangerous. It appears that slippery road conditions played a role in an early morning accident Friday morning that left four people dead in Northeast Iowa.

WHO reports that the accident happened at around 6:49 a.m. along Highway 20 in Grundy County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 15-passenger van was Westbound on Highway 20 near the Wellsburg exit when the accident occurred. WHO reports that the driver allegedly lost control on the slippery roads, entered the median, and then rolled over, coming to rest in the eastbound lanes.

WHO reports that officers with the Iowa State Patrol confirmed that there were 13 passengers in the van at the time of the accident. KWWL says four of them died from injuries in the crash. According to KIMT, the Grundy County Sheriff's Office says three of those killed were children and the fourth was a young adult. The other passengers in the van were taken to hospitals in both Waterloo and Grundy County for treatment. Their injuries and conditions are not known at this time.

The four people killed have been identified by the Iowa State Patrol as 22-year-old Ervin Borntreger, 4-year-old Emma Borntreger, 2-year-old Rebecca Borntreger, and 1-year-old Marlin Borntreger. All four were from Delhi.

The Grundy County Sheriff's office warned drivers of the dangerous winter conditions in a Facebook post on Thursday morning as a light glaze of snow and ice had fallen in the area. More light snow fell across much of Eastern Iowa this morning. While it won't pile up in your yard, it certainly was enough to make driving conditions dangerous. More measurable snow is forecast for Saturday and Saturday night. Make sure and give yourself extra time to reach your destination and use your Iowa winter driving skills. Slow down, and arrive alive.

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