Colfax man killed in Altoona accident

Officials with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have released the name of a Colfax man killed in a Wednesday morning accident in rural Altoona. Thomas Porter, 65, of Colfax was killed when the 2006 Ford F150 pickup he was driving was struck by a 1998 Ford F150 pickup driven by Laverne Sporrer of Altoona at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Lt. Greg Peterman with the sheriff’s office said Sporrer failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Northeast 46th Avenue and Northeast 96th Street just east of Altoona and struck Porter’s vehicle. Porter and his wife were ejected from the truck. Peterman said Porter was pronounced dead at the scene. Porter’s wife was airlifted to a Des Moines area hospital with serious injuries and is still hospitalized. A third passenger in the Porter vehicle and Sporrer also were transported to area hospitals but their injuries were not life threatening. Porter’s funeral is being handled by Wallace Family Funeral Home in Newton. The accident is still under investigation and citations are pending.