Storm Lake authorities have identified those involved in a fatal collision Thursday morning. The Storm Lake Police and Fire Departments, along with the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services, the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division responded to the scene on Highway 7 and Highway 110 at approximately 7:30 a.m. Upon arrival, they found that a semi-tractor trailer, operated by 47-year-old Ricky Mandernach of Storm Lake, was westbound on Highway 7 and had struck a northbound van in the passenger side. The van, driven by 67-year-old Jeffrey Wagner of Sioux City, ended up rolling and coming to rest in the northwest ditch. The driver and two passengers, 55-year-old Gerald Heiskell of Sioux City and 54-year-old Gregory Walcott of Mapleton, were all extricated by the fire department and transported to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center for treatment. Heiskell was later pronounced dead at the medical center. The driver of the semi, Mandernach, was transported by private vehicle for treatment of minor injuries. The status of the other two patients is unknown at the time of this airing. Highway 7 was closed for approximately four hours Thursday as the accident scene was cleared. The incident remains under investigation.
