Nice gesture leads to Marion rollover crash

UPDATE: No one was injured when a nice gesture led to a rollover accident on Seventh Avenue in Marion early Monday.

Eastbound traffic was stacked up at 14th Street around 7:55 a.m., but motorists stopped short to leave a gap for crossing traffic. A man driving a van went through to the north, but didn't check the westbound traffic. An oncoming van smacked into the passenger side of his vehicle.

The van that was crossing through traffic spun around and rolled onto its top. Windows shattered.

The man, who declined to be identified, said he did not look for the westbound traffic.

"I was sitting at the stop sign for about five minutes," the man said. "I didn't look. I could have waited another minute."

Other than a bump on the elbow, he came away unscathed. The driver of the other van, Mellissa Dawson, 27, of Marion, was also unhurt. They were alone in their vehicles.

"I was just pretty suprised," said Dawson, who was one block away from her turn. "I slammed on my brakes, but there was nothing I could do."

Police at the scene would not disclose charges in the accident. One lane was blocked for westbound traffic on Seventh Avenue for about an hour.

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