Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
'Words can't describe what a big loss this is'
The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn community is mourning the death of one of its students following a single-vehicle accident Wednesday, March 20.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, Joshua Cruz, 16, of Hartley, was driving a 2000 Honda Accord eastbound on 300th Street when it left the roadway and struck an embankment on Waterman Creek. The accident report noted Cruz was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered a fatal injury during the crash.
The accident occurred approximately three miles northwest of Hartley at around 8:30 a.m. The Iowa State Patrol, O'Brien County Sheriff's Office, Hartley ambulance an...