Marilyn Jean Drebenstedt Obituary, Death – An 87-year-old woman from Mediapolis tragically lost her life in a car accident near Middletown, as reported by the Iowa State Patrol. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on October 1 along US Highway 34 in Des Moines County.
According to the crash report, a 2012 Kia Sorento was traveling west when witnesses observed the driver stop and begin reversing on the highway. The driver continued backing up until reaching a crossover near mile marker 255. It was at this point that the driver attempted to make a left turn onto the crossover but inadvertently turned directly into the path of an oncoming semi-truck traveling in the same direction.
The collision was severe, with the semi striking the driver’s side door of the Kia. The Iowa State Patrol noted that the crossover where the incident occurred was marked with a “No U-Turn” sign, indicating that U-turns were prohibited in that area. Despite wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, Marilyn Jean Drebenstedt, the driver of the Kia, succumbed to her injuries from the crash.