16-year-old dies in car accident – ​​family devastated

POLK COUNTY, Iowa – 16-year-old Chad Dittmer, 38-year-old Kolby Drees and 34-year-old Sara Tourte died in a car crash Sunday evening.

According to police, Dittmer was driving north when he failed to stop at a stop sign and struck Tourte and Drees.

This night changed the lives of many people in a matter of seconds. The Dittmer family is still trying to understand what happened.

It was a normal Sunday evening for Dittmer's family. Everyone was going about their work until the phone rang with unimaginable news.

“I was devastated. I fell to the ground, panicking,” said Paige Dittmer, Chad's sister.

When Chad's sister Paige and his mother arrived at the scene of the accident, they said Chad's car was unrecognizable.

“I can't believe he's gone,” Paige said. “It's hard, I miss him, I just want to hold him and, you know, say words of wisdom to each other.”

Now the family is working to put the pieces back together and fill a gap in their family. They say Chad loved driving, fishing and washing cars. He was a handyman who was always eager to learn new things.

“It's been a tough battle,” Paige said. “We all deal with it in our own way. One minute it's really hard. The next minute I can kind of smile because I know he's in a better place, but the next minute it's back to tears.”

Paige described her brother as caring, compassionate and determined. She wants his legacy to be remembered as a helpful young man who did everything he could for his family.

“He contributed a lot, he was such a strong shoulder to lean on,” Paige said.

The family has set up an account at Veridian Credit Union where donations can be made directly to the Paige Dittmer Memorial Fund. Checks can be made out to Chad Dittmer Memorial.

There will also be a candlelight vigil at North Polk High School on Sunday, September 29th at 7:30 p.m.