Colfax, IA (August 11, 2026) – Multiple people were injured Monday, August 10, in a multi-vehicle collision on I-80 near mile marker 155 by Colfax, in rural Jasper County east of Des Moines. Several semis and passenger cars ended up on both shoulders of the interstate.
State troopers requested two ambulances from nearby Newton to respond to the scene, since local resources were not sufficient for the number of people hurt, according to initial reports.
No further details about the cause of the wreck or the exact number of people injured were immediately available. We hope for a full recovery for everyone involved.
Why Do Multi-Vehicle Highway Crashes Take So Long to Clear?
Multi-vehicle incidents involving semis and passenger cars become more complicated to clear because of the sheer size difference between the vehicles involved. A semi that ends up on the shoulder can partially block emergency access, making it harder for responders to reach every vehicle quickly.
Requesting mutual aid from a neighboring community, like ambulances from Newton, is a common practice when the number of patients exceeds what local resources can handle at once. This kind of coordinated response helps ensure that everyone involved gets evaluated and treated as quickly as possible, even in a large-scale incident.
Interstate shoulders are not always wide enough to safely accommodate multiple disabled vehicles at once, especially with semis involved. Drivers approaching a scene like this are urged to slow down and move over, since responders and other motorists may be working close to live travel lanes. Rubbernecking from passing traffic can also slow down an already complex response, adding to congestion in a stretch of highway that’s already partially blocked.
