Fatal head-on crash in Buchanan County involved pickup, car, off-duty deputy

A man was killed in a head-on crash early Saturday morning when a pickup crossed the centerline and collided with his car south of Hazleton, according to a Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office news release.

At 2:35 a.m., Ronald Landals, 31, of Perry, was driving a northbound Pontiac G5 on Highway 150 — also known as Jackson Avenue — near 140th Street when a southbound Chevrolet Silverado driven by Brian Goedken, 27, of Independence, crossed the centerline and collided with the car, according to crash investigators.

After striking the Pontiac, the pickup collided with a northbound Ford Police Interceptor driven by Mitchell Franck, 26, of Fairbank, an off-duty Buchanan County sheriff’s deputy who was traveling behind Landals’ vehicle, the release stated.

Landals was pronounced dead at the scene, and a passenger in the car was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City with serious injuries.

Goedken and a passenger in the pickup were transported to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids with non-life-threatening injuries.

Franck was transported to Buchanan County Health Center in Independence with minor injuries.

The Iowa State Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash.