Storm Lake, IA (northwestiowanow.com) — The Buena Vista University student from Clay County who lost her life in a two-vehicle crash Monday afternoon was a back seat passenger according to information released by the sheriff’s department Wednesday morning.

The accident occurred around 1:30 near the Storm Lake Municipal Airport a mile South of town on Highway 110.

Investigators say a Southbound Taurus driven by another student – 18-year-old Denzel Scott of Angleton, Texas – struck a Northbound transit van.

21-year-old Kaylee Nachtigal of Dickens was in the back seat and was transported to the hospital in Storm Lake where she was pronounced dead.

Scott and a front seat passenger – 19-year-old Marley Smith of Battle Creek, Creek Michigan – were taken to the hospital in Storm and airlifted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center

The driver of the van was 53-year-old Brian Reinert of Newscastle, Nebraska and was taken to the hospital by a Sheriff’s Deputy.

Sheriff Kory Elston says one of the occupants was trapped inside and had to be freed by mechanical means.

The Storm Lake and Alta Fire Departments answered the call along with the Iowa State Patrol, Storm Lake Police, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Ambulance and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Kaylee Nachtigal was a 2024 graduate of Spencer High School, and an online GoFundMe account has been set up for her family.