Bowman North Dakota Driver Killed In Accident On 163

A Mahaska County Sheriff’s squad car blocks traffic along 163 during Wednesday evening’s fatal accident. (submitted photo)
Pella, Iowa – An accident along U.S. Highway 163 has cost 65-year-old Ester Hockett her life. Her body was transported from the scene of the accident to the Iowa State Medical Examiners.
The preliminary accident report from the Iowa State Patrol states that the 2010 Mercury Mountaineer driven by Hockett was eastbound in the westbound lanes on Highway 163 near Pella at 7:25 pm Wednesday night.
A 2001 Volvo tractor/trailer driven by 56-year-old Kevin Goodman of Haverhill, Iowa was traveling westbound and struck the Mountaineer head on.
The tractor/trailer flipped onto its side, coming to a rest on the roadway. The tractor/trailer was carrying approximately 75 head of cattle. Several cattle escaped the trailer as a result of the accident.
Law enforcement, local farmers, and other volunteers worked to round up the cattle, eventually corralling most.
Highway 163 was closed for several hours as a result of the accident.
The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the accident and were joined at the scene by Pella Police, Pella Fire, Marion County Emergency Management, Pella Ambulance, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office and the New Sharon Police Department.