A Tama Police Department vehicle sits at the scene of an auto collision in Tama. On Sept. 16 a semi-trailer truck driven by Kenneth Fettkether of Dunkerton collided with a car at the Highway 63/W 13th Street/Harding Street intersection. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The Tama Police Department responded to a pair of vehicle collisions recently on Highway 63 between the STC High School and the intersection near the former Ellenbecker service station.

On Sept. 15 a collision occurred near a construction zone when a Honda Civic being driven by Elizabeth Kastein of Tama pulled out of the south entrance at the STC High School onto Highway 63.

The accident report states that Kastein was attempting to turn north onto Highway 63 as directed by Iowa DOT workers that were nearby working on the road.

Kastein then struck a Chevy Tahoe that was being driven by Kelsey Bro, also of Tama, northbound on the far side of the road to the east.

The collision occurred on the driver’s side of Bro’s vehicle but no injuries were reported and minor damage was sustained to both vehicles.

According to the report, neither driver was issued a citation by police following the incident.

A day later another collision occurred less than a half mile south of the Sept. 15 incident.

Around 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 a semi-trailer truck collided with a car as the truck was attempting to turn east on Highway 63 at the Harding Street intersection by Ellenbecker Oil.

The truck, driven by Kenneth Fettkether of Dunkerton, was in the far right lane on the southbound side of the four-lane highway when it attempted to turn left to follow Highway 63 east.

A Cadillac ATS driven by Daymon Rosenberger of Tama was in the left southbound lane next to the truck and was struck on the passenger side by the midsection of the trailer as it made an illegal wide left turn, crossing over the left lane trying to head east.

Rosenberger was the only occupant of the vehicle and was not injured in the incident.

Fettkether was cited for making an unsafe turn.

The Highway 63 and Harding Street intersection can be one of the more confusing traffic situations in the area, particularly for those not familiar with the area.

With the four-lane highway being much wider than Harding Street, a two-lane city street, the southbound right lane of the highway does not line up perfectly with Harding Street, making it unclear which lanes are intended for which purpose at the intersection.

Legally the southbound left lane is only meant for turning left onto W 13th/Highway 63 and the southbound right lane is only meant for turning right onto County Road E49 or proceeding south onto Harding Street.

Drivers currently have little in the way of traffic signs or painted arrows on the street to help direct them through the intersection.