A 22-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into the rear of a semi-truck that was preparing to make a left turn on an Iowa highway. The deadly collision involved a 2026 Kawasaki motorcycle and a 1999 Kenworth semi-truck on Tuesday afternoon in Sac County.
The Iowa State Patrol identified the victim as Johnathan Alexander Scales, 22, of Ida Grove. He was traveling eastbound on Iowa Highway 175 when the crash happened near Cory Avenue, approximately 2.5 miles west of Odebolt.
The collision was reported at around 1:11 p.m. on November 10. At the time, Scales was riding behind the semi-truck, which was also heading east along the highway.
According to the preliminary crash report, the truck’s driver, 71-year-old Darel Lee Godbersen of Odebolt, was preparing to turn left onto Cory Avenue. As the truck prepared to make the turn, Scales’ motorcycle struck its rear.
The collision proved fatal for Scales, who died at the scene. Godbersen was not hurt, and authorities have not reported any other injuries connected to the crash.
The semi-truck was linked to Youngren Farms Trucking LLC of Odebolt, according to the Iowa State Patrol. The company was listed as the motor carrier associated with the vehicle in the crash report.
Emergency crews from several agencies responded after the collision. The Iowa State Patrol and Sac County Sheriff’s Office were among those at the scene, alongside the Odebolt Fire Department and Precision Towing.
The crash happened on a stretch of Highway 175 outside Odebolt, near the junction with Cory Avenue. The location places the collision in Sac County, in west-central Iowa.
The Iowa State Patrol has retained the case for further investigation. While the preliminary report explains how the motorcycle struck the semi-truck, authorities have not released further findings about the circumstances leading up to the impact.