One Killed, Two Injured in Crash Near Brooklyn

BENSON, ERQUIST, BERRY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 8/31/2014 at 09:58:50

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
March 7, 1977

ONE KILLED, TWO INJURED IN
FRIDAY CRASH NEAR BROOKLYN

A Montezuma man was killed in a car accident some 2-1/2 south of Brooklyn Friday evening, March 4. The driver of the car and another passenger were injured in the crash.

Kenneth M. Benson, 21, a passenger in the car with two friends, Kevin D. Erquist, 18, of Montezuma, the driver, and Thomas L. Berry, 21, another passenger. The Erquist car was northbound on county road V-18 where, the highway patrol accident report says, it failed to negotiate a curve, hit a driveway and rolled over several times. All three of the car's occupants were thrown from the car.

Erquist is in critical condition in University Hospitals in Iowa City with multiple injuries, after being transferred from Grinnell General Hospital. Berry is in fair condition at the Grinnell hospital.

Benson's death is the county's first traffic fatality of the year. Funeral arrangements are pending at Steffy Funeral Home in Montezuma.