Burlington Man Victim of Fiery, Early-Morning Collision

39-year old James Wishmeier of Burlington was killed early this morning when his minivan collided with a semi-truck pulling a grain trailer, west of Mediapolis.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A juvenile passenger in the Wishmeier vehicle was injured and treated at the scene by Yarmouth and Mediapolis Fire & Ambulance responders and was then airlifted to University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, with what paramedics are calling non-life-threatening injuries.  Authorities did not release the child’s name.

The driver of the semi, 67-year old Sidney Lutes of New London, was taken to Great River Medical Center by a Mediapolis ambulance and his injuries were also characterized as non-life-threatening.

Des Moines County deputies and Iowa State troopers say Wishmeier was headed north on 220th Avenue and ran the stop sign at Mediapolis Road, when the eastbound truck hit the van in the driver’s side.  The van then caught fire.