Two Iowa teenagers die in crash near Perry on snow-covered highway

Two teenagers from Jamaica, Iowa, are dead and another is injured following a crash in Dallas County on Thursday morning.

The incident happened around 7:45 a.m. on Highway 141 near the intersection with Diagonal Road outside of Perry during a period of heavy snow, according to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol.

"The road was completely covered with snow and slush — that thick, heavy snow. And it was snowing at the time of the crash and we believe that was a contributing factor," said Dallas County sheriff Adam Infante.

According to the report, the vehicle driven eastbound by one of the teenagers lost traction on the road, causing it to spin and veer into the westbound lane. The 56-year-old driver of a box truck tried to avoid the oncoming vehicle by turning right and pressing on the brakes, but his vehicle ultimately hit the passenger side of the first vehicle.

Weather: Winter storm moving across Iowa Thursday. Here’s what to know.

Infante said three victims were all "school-age teenagers" who are related. The surviving victim was taken to a local hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the truck was not injured, according to a news release from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

The teenage victims' names have not been released. One of the victims who died was wearing a seatbelt. The other two in the car were not, according to the crash report.

There have been 47 traffic fatalities in Iowa as of Thursday, an increase of nearly 15% from this time last year, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Just over half of victims who died in car crashes so far this year were not wearing seatbelts.

Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Crash in Perry amid winter storm kills two teenagers, injures one