Mason City, IA (July 11, 2026) – A Mason City police officer and another driver were injured in a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of 4th Street SE and South Kentucky Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, July 7.
The crash happened at 2:50 p.m. while Officer Wilfredo Almendarez Valencia, 27, was responding to an emergency call. According to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, the officer was driving a marked police SUV southbound on South Kentucky Avenue with emergency lights and siren activated when the vehicle collided with a car driven by Brian Anderson, 56, of Mason City.
Deputies said Anderson was traveling westbound through the intersection when the police SUV struck the passenger side of his vehicle. The impact pushed Anderson’s car into a third vehicle driven by Karry Graney, 56, of Mason City. Almendarez Valencia and Anderson suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at the scene. The officer was later taken to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center for additional evaluation, while Anderson declined hospital transport. Graney was not injured.
The incident remains under review by authorities, and more details will be released as soon as they become available.
Our thoughts are with those injured as they continue to recover.
How Emergency Response Crashes Are Reviewed
Crashes involving emergency vehicles responding to calls may require a detailed review of traffic conditions, vehicle movements, and roadway factors. Investigators may examine vehicle positions, traffic signals, witness statements, and available evidence from the scene.
Emergency vehicles are required to follow specific procedures while responding to calls, and investigators may review whether those procedures were followed during the incident. A complete review can help explain the sequence of events and the circumstances that led to the collision.
