(Creston, Iowa) – Two people died in separate Union County accidents over the past week. 54-year-old John Leroy Pace, of Clarinda, died June 3rd after the 1983 Honda motorcycle he was riding failed to negotiate a curve on eastbound Highway 34. Sheriff’s officials says the cycle traveled into the ditch on the north side of the highway and came to rest on its side. The accident wasn’t noticed until around 4-a.m., until the driver of a semi tractor trailer noticed the cycle’s headlights coming from the ditch, and turned around to investigate. Pace died at the scene. An investigation into the accident was ongoing.

The other fatal accident happened late Sunday morning, near Thayer. Union County Sheriff’s officials say 43-year-old San Juana Vega, of Osceola, died after the 2015 Chevy Traverse she was driving eastbound, crashed on Highway 34 just north of Highway 169, at around 11:51-a.m. The sheriff’s office received multiple 911 calls about a reckless driver, whose vehicle was all over the road heading east and had just passed Highway 169 north. Citizens manage to get the vehicle stopped on the side of the road near mile marker 102, but when they went to put the vehicle in park, it somehow went into reverse, and Vega lost consciousness.

Her foot left the brake, causing the vehicle to reverse down a hill and into the Grand River, where it became fully immersed in the water. First responders were able to extricate Vega from the vehicle and onto a UTV to transported her to an ambulance waiting on the road. Vega – whom authorities say smelled of alcohol – was transported by Clarke EMS to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, where she was pronounced deceased.

The accident remains under investigation.