State Patrol identifies victim in Interstate 80 car-semi crash

TIFFIN - The Iowa State Patrol has identified a woman killed in a crash on Interstate 80 on Sunday evening and said weather might have played role in the deadly collision.

Hyoung Lae Chung, 49, of Mason City, was exiting southbound Interstate 380 onto eastbound Interstate 80 about 6:30 p.m. and lost control at the end of the ramp, sliding sideways into traffic, according to patrol Lt. Randy Jones.

“She lost traction and the car slid and was struck broadside,” Jones said.

A semi-trailer truck being driven by Jaib Singh Ray, 49, of Madera, Calif., was headed east on I-80 when Chung's 2002 Volvo crossed into its direct path, according to the patrol report. The semi hit the Volvo, sending it into the south ditch and fatally injuring Chung.

The semi crashed into a concreted median barrier, but Jones said the driver wasn't injured.

The crash remains under investigation, but Jones said preliminary reports indicate drugs and alcohol did not play a role.

“The wet roadways might have contributed to the fact that the tires slipped,” he said. “But we are still in the middle of the investigation. We are still trying to figure out how fast she was going.”

That crash shut down the I-80 entrance ramp off I-380 and a portion of eastbound I-80 near Tiffin for hours Sunday night. Around the same time, another crash involving a semi occurred a few miles east on I-80, according to the patrol.

That crash closed both lanes of eastbound I-80 for at least an hour.