Holiday Tragedy

RED OAK  — Two children died in a head-on collision Sunday night south of Red Oak.
Maliki Todd, 5, and Alex Todd, 4, both of Cumberland, died in the accident four miles south of Red Oak on Highway 48.
According to a report from the Iowa State Patrol, the children were riding in a 2001 Kia, driven by Nina McNeese, 25, of Cumberland.
McNeese was driving northbound on Highway 48 when the vehicle collided head-on with a 2005 Nissan Altima, driven by Karli Brown, 18, of Essex.
Brown was driving southbound, and was attempting to pass two vehicles in a non-passing portion of the highway, the patrol reports.
Both Brown and McNeese suffered serious injuries and were transported by Life Net helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for treatment.
Brown and McNeese, as well as the two children, were all wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing, and charges are pending.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Red Oak Police, and Red Oak Fire and Rescue assisted the State Patrol in responding to the accident.