A 43-year-old rural Laurel man was killed Tuesday afternoon following a collision between a passenger vehicle and a locomotive northeast of Newton.
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper County Communications Center received an emergency call at approximately 1:40 p.m. on November 10, 2026, reporting a collision at the Iowa Interstate Railroad crossing near Jasper County Highway T-12 N and North 39th Avenue E.
Responding emergency personnel found the vehicle’s sole occupant, identified as 43-year-old Carl Benskin of rural Laurel, had been ejected from the vehicle and was pinned beneath a portion of the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu.
Life-saving measures were immediately attempted, but Benskin was pronounced dead at the scene.
The operator of the locomotive was not injured.
The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the collision with assistance from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, Newton Fire Department, Newton Police Department and the Jasper County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The roadway was closed during the investigation and reopened at approximately 4:20 p.m.
No additional information about the circumstances surrounding the collision has been released.
Source: Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. Press release issued by Sheriff Brad M. Shutts.
