Walter Lauridsen II stepped out of his Mercedes on a quiet stretch of Highway 34 last Thursday night and never made it back. The 42-year-old Des Moines man died right there on the pavement near Chariton after another driver hit him.
It happened around 8:21 p.m. on October 15 in Lucas County. His car sat parked along the shoulder about half a mile east of 127th Avenue, roughly 10 miles from Chariton. A Honda Pilot heading east, driven by 66-year-old Nicholas Craig Hunter of Des Moines, swung into the westbound lane to go around the parked vehicle. At that same moment Walter walked into the lane. The SUV struck him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Walter grew up in a family that built businesses and gave back to Iowa communities. He worked in real estate and small business investing after years with the Lauridsen Group. Friends knew him for supporting places like Harvest Academy and Character Counts programs that help kids and families.
He was the brother of Christine Sand and the brother-in-law of Rob Sand, who is running for governor. The family said in a statement that Walter was a beloved son, brother, father and friend. They noted he lived with mental health complexities and asked for privacy while they make funeral plans.
No one else got hurt in the crash. Troopers are still looking into why the Mercedes was stopped on the side of the road and why Walter walked into traffic. Lucas County crews took his body to the medical examiner.
People who worked with him remember the quiet way he backed community efforts. One leader at Harvest Academy said he would not be where he is today without Walter’s help. Others talked about the skate park and amphitheater projects the family supported over the years.
The sudden loss hit hard for those closest to him. Thursday night started like any other drive and ended with a life gone in seconds on a dark Iowa highway.
Leave a Reply