Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports four people were hurt during separate crashes over the weekend. The first took place at around 4:20-p.m. Saturday on Henry Wallace Road, near the intersection with 300th Street. Authorities say a 2014 Ford Escape driven by 23-year old Brooke Zollman, of Orient, was traveling northbound. She slowed and signaled to turn right onto 300th Street. A passenger in her SUV noticed the vehicle behind them wasn’t slowing down.

Zollman attempted to rapidly accelerate into the turn to avoid being struck by the other vehicle, a 2001 Ford pickup, but her vehicle was struck from behind by the pickup. The impact caused the car to be forced into the northeast ditch before it rolled and came to rest on its wheels. The pickup, driven by 26-year old Wyatt Towne, of Clive, stopped on the road. Towne told Deputies he was looking through his wallet and didn’t see the SUV slowing down and attempting to turn.

Zollman complained of pain and was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Creston, along with a female juvenile passenger in her vehicle. Towne was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Greenfield. He was subsequently cited for Following too close. Both vehicles were totaled, with the damage amounting to $25,000.

The second accident in Adair County happened at around 10:55-p.m. Saturday. A 2009 Nissan Altima driven by 57-year old Jeffrey Newton, of Greenfield, was traveling south on Highway 25 near the intersection with 150th Street, when the car went out of control. The vehicle entered the west ditch, struck a pile of rock/snow and flipped end-over-end before going airborne. The car came to rest in the west ditch.

Newton was removed from the wreckage by mechanical means and transported by Mercy Air to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Deputies say he had an odor of alcohol on his breath, along with bloodshot, watery eyes. Newton admitted to consuming alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel. He said he had had “Too much.” Blood was taken from him to determine the level of intoxication. Charges are pending return of the results from the lab. Newton’s car was totaled in the crash.