Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Student Airlifted After Crash Undergoes Second Surgery, Superintendent Says

BELMOND, Iowa — One of two Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School students injured in a Tuesday crash near Belmond remains hospitalized in Des Moines after undergoing two surgeries, according to a letter sent to families by the district.

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Superintendent Jared Carder said junior Cooper Reiland was transported by air ambulance to a Des Moines hospital following the crash and underwent emergency surgery. Reiland had an additional surgery Wednesday and will continue to be closely monitored, with further surgeries anticipated, Carder said.

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows junior Armando Melendez was transported to Iowa Specialty Hospital following the crash and has since been released, according to the letter.

According to the Iowa State Patrol crash report, Reiland, 17, was driving a 2010 Ford Edge eastbound on 265th Street Tuesday when the vehicle failed to yield at a stop sign and was struck broadside by a 2019 Freightliner truck traveling southbound on Hancock Avenue. Melendez, 16, was a passenger in the Ford.

Both vehicles left the roadway and came to rest in a ditch near a cornfield, the report said.

Also injured were the truck’s driver, Daniel Oldenkamp, 49, of Algona, and Clay Riedesel, 39, of Wesley. Both were transported to Iowa Specialty Hospital by Clarion EMS.

All four occupants were wearing seatbelts, which the crash report credited with saving their lives.

Carder asked the community to respect the privacy of both families and said school staff are available to support students affected by the crash.

“Our thoughts remain with both students and their families as they continue to recover physically and emotionally,” Carder said in the letter.

The Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle Grove Fire Department, Clarion EMS and Hennigar’s Towing assisted at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.