Winterset woman dies in one-vehicle accident

At approximately 2:24 p.m. Sept. 19, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a single-vehicle accident at the intersection of Cumming Road and Quail Ridge Avenue, approximately seven miles northeast of Winterset.

Deputies identified the driver as Carole Harms, 62, of Winterset. Harms, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

An initial investigation determined Harms was southbound on Cumming Road, approaching the intersection of Quail Ridge Avenue, where her vehicle left the roadway as the road curved. After leaving the roadway, the vehicle struck an embankment and rolled into an adjacent ditch before coming to rest upright.

It is unknown what caused Harms to leave the roadway, however, a medical issue may have been a contributing factor. An autopsy at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny has been scheduled.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Madison County Ambulance, Winterset Fire Department, MercyOne Air Ambulance and the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office.