By Staci DaSilva
sdasilva@kcautv.com
"There was a vehicle that just came flying through, a little out of control," reported a caller.
For the first time we're hearing the 911 calls that tell us a little more about the events leading up to the deaths of 3 Sioux City men.
Those men died tragically Sunday morning when the car they were in crashed into Perry Creek. Investigators say the men had traveled all the way from Storm Lake to Sioux City.
Along the way, there were quite a few 911 calls to report erratic driving and speeding. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in their deaths.
Dispatcher: "Communications, Sandy speaking."
Caller: "There was a vehicle that just came flying through, a little out of control."
Caller: "The car was going 70 mph."
Caller: "There were at least 4-5 people in that car."
They're the haunting 911 calls from concerned callers not knowing that they're foreshadowing the deaths of 3 men in their early 20's.
Sioux City's Crime Prevention Officer Chad Sheehan said, "It's sad and it's tragic. Everybody wishes that it had a different ending. But unfortunately, in this case, it didn't."
But that doesn't mean calls such as these aren't useful.
"It doesn't always mean that we will find the person or that we will find the vehicle doing something wrong, but it at least gives us a chance to try," said Officer Sheehan.
The Woodbury County Communications Center is a joint venture between the County and the Sioux City Police Department.
The call center receives reckless driving reports daily, at least 3 on Tuesday alone.
If you're behind the wheel and see a reckless driver who should be reported, first you should pull over to a safe spot, take down the license plate number and car description and then call 911.
Every report of erratic driving is relayed to officers on duty and exact locations and license plate information help to focus the search.
And while sometimes, the vehicles go unfound, other times the calls save lives.
"Some of the calls that we get lead to arrests of drunk drivers, impaired drivers," said Officer Sheehan.
Remember, if you want to report a reckless driver, all you have to do is dial 911.
