On 8/30/10 at 1139 hours, the Plymouth County Communications Center received a call of a truck that had been struck by a train north of Highway 3 and Otter Avenue.  This would be just west of Oyens.  The caller stated that an ambulance was needed.

When sheriff's deputies and ambulance personnel arrived at the scene, it was determined that the driver of the truck was deceased.  Plymouth County Medical Examiner Dr. Sheila Holcomb arrived at the scene and pronounced the driver dead.

Investigators from the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office were still on the scene of the accident at the time of this press release, however, a preliminary report is being released.

Sheriff Van Otterloo states that a 1997 Ford dump truck, owned by Walker Excavating Inc. of Le Mars, Iowa, was northbound on Otter Avenue and a Canadian National train was eastbound on the RR tracks.  The dump truck did not yield to the train and was struck on the driver's side of the truck.  The truck was pushed over the bridge railing and came to rest on a crane that had been used to repair the RR bridge.  The driver of the truck was ejected from the vehicle and was deceased at the scene.

The deceased is a 37 year old, white male, from Remsen, Iowa.  The name is being withheld, pending the notification of relatives.  No other injuries occurred.

The RR intersection where this accident happened was controlled by "Crossbuck" and yield signs.  No lights or stop arms are installed at this intersection.

The Plymouth County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Remsen Fire and Ambulance, Oyens Fire and Ambulance, Remsen Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol.