Community mourns after three killed in crash near Kalona

Community members in Fairfield are mourning after three residents died and one person was severely injured in a crash near Kalona earlier this week.

The crash happened just before 9 a.m. Monday in the 1700 block of Highway 1, south of Kalona. John McAndrew, 70, was driving south on the highway when he crossed into the northbound lane to pass a snowplow and crashed into a car being driven by Charles Person, 54, Charles’ wife, Amanda Person, 41, and their son, Victor Person, 17, were both in the car.

McAndrew, Charles Person and Amanda Person all died in the crash. Victor Person was injured and is currently in the ICU at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Amanda’s mother, Veronica Newbold, said Victor has several broken bones in his neck, back and leg, and has had multiple surgeries already.

“He’s not doing good at all … He got crushed,” Newbold said.

The Persons were traveling Monday morning to the University of Iowa for an appointment to have Victor’s wisdom teeth removed. Newbold said Amanda had talked to her sister, Newbold’s other daughter, that morning and had mentioned she was worried about how slick the roads were for the drive.

Later in the day, Newbold began to worry when Amanda didn’t respond to her texts and calls. Her fears were confirmed when two Fairfield police officers came to her door to give her the news.

“Yesterday really hit me because we had to go to the funeral home,” Newbold said on Thursday. “The autopsy people talked to me, and it’s no viewing. So, we have to do a cremation, and I’m going to do a memorial of life later. I’m waiting on Victor, because he’s got a long road ahead of him, if he even makes it. He’s day by day.”

Newbold and her husband have been taking care of the Persons’ other daughter since the crash earlier this week. Amanda and Charles were close with their kids and often took them to do activities together as a family, like bowling and shopping. They were both big fans of professional wrestling and recently took their kids to see a match with Central Empire Wrestling.

The family has seen a lot of community support this week and Newbold said she’s been glad to hear from people that knew Charles and Amanda.

“They got along with everybody,” Newbold said.

Shilo Gainer is the administrator at Prestige Care Center in Fairfield, where Amanda worked as the laundry and housekeeping supervisor. Gainer started a GoFundMe page to help support the family. It had raised $2,490 as of Thursday afternoon.

“So many people have reached out, since the GoFundMe went out, about how personable Amanda is, and she always had a smile, and she always talked to you, no matter what. People in the community, they absolutely love her and her family. Her kids mean the absolute world to her. That was her whole revolving world,” Gainer said.

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