West Union, IA (May 7, 2026) – Three kids were taken to a hospital after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Hwy 3 and I Ave in Fayette County on Wednesday, May 6, at 2:30 p.m.
A 16-year-old driver of a 2011 Ford Fusion attempted to turn left onto I Ave and pulled into the path of a pickup truck traveling westbound on Hwy 3. The two vehicles collided at the intersection. Authorities determined the teen driver was using a cell phone at the time of the crash.
The teen driver was taken to a hospital for treatment. Two passengers in the Fusion — a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old — were also taken to a hospital. The extent of injuries for all three had not been released at the time of this writing. The driver of the pickup truck was not hurt.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash, and more details will be released as soon as they become available. Our thoughts are with those affected as they continue to recover.
What Iowa Law Says About Teen Drivers and Cell Phone Use
Iowa has strict rules around phone use for younger drivers. Teens driving under a restricted license are prohibited from using a hand-held electronic device while behind the wheel, regardless of whether they are texting or talking. This restriction exists because distraction is one of the leading causes of crashes among new drivers.
Left turns are already one of the more demanding maneuvers for inexperienced drivers, requiring them to judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic. Adding phone use to that moment significantly reduces a driver’s ability to make that judgment accurately. Even a brief glance away from the road can cause a driver to misjudge a gap in traffic.
In Iowa, distracted driving crashes involving teens are taken seriously during the investigation process, as phone records can be reviewed to confirm device activity at the time of a collision.
