Two dead in crash near Colfax

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

Two Altoona men died Wednesday in a single-vehicle car crash just outside of Colfax.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s office was called to investigate the crash Wednesday after a motorist traveling on Highway 117 about two miles north of Colfax at 2:15 a.m. spotted a car on fire in a field east of the intersection of Highway 117 and Highway F34/North 35th Avenue West.

Authorities determined that an eastbound 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Branden Weatherly, 22, of Altoona had missed the stop sign and then lost control on 35th Avenue West. The car travelled through the south ditch, then went through the fence, rolling several times. Both the driver and passenger, James DeBonis Jr., 20, of Altoona were ejected from the car.

DeBonis was pronounced dead at the scene and Weatherly succumbed to his injures late Wednesday afternoon at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.