Ankeny Police Car, Tow Truck Struck By Semi This Morning

An Ankeny police car and a tow truck were struck by a tractor-trailer rig Tuesday morning while both were helping a driver whose car had slid into the ditch near the interchange of Interstates 35 and 80.

were on the scene of the accident to provide traffic control and workers from Hanifen’s Towing were attempting to pull a car from the ditch when a tractor-trailer coming onto the ramp struck the driver’s side of a patrol car as it passed, said Capt. Joe Schaffer of the Ankeny Police Department.

In addition, the semi also struck the tow truck. No injuries were reported, Schaffer said, and all vehicles were sable to leave the scene.

The incident to which Ankeny police responded involved a vehicle heading north on Interstate 35 when it slid off the entrance ramp to Interstate 80 westbound.

Schaffer said an officer was in the patrol car when it was struck by the semi.

An Ankeny officer who witnessed the accident stopped the semi on Interstate 80 near the Northeast 14^th Street exit. According to Schaffer, the driver did not know he struck the two vehicles.

The names of those involved in the accident have not been released, Schaffer said. The Iowa State Patrol is still investigating the accident.

Working on interstate accident scenes can be dangerous. In September, Jesse Inman of Ankeny, a husband and father of three who worked for Hanifen's Towing, was killed. He was one of four people who died following a crash on I 80 near Grinnell.

A memorial fund was established to help his family.

Inman, 29, was one of four individuals .