A downed stop sign at the intersection of Stanton and Chamberlain avenues caused a two-car accident Monday afternoon involving two Iowa State students.

Heather Burns, junior in animal science, had just left the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, 315 Lynn Ave., and was driving west on Chamberlain Avenue at about 4:10 p.m., according to police.

As she crossed the intersection, Burns slammed into a car driven by Souly Milamay, junior in economics.

“All of a sudden, there was this car in front of me, and I crashed into it,” Burns said. “I’m really pissed off at whoever took that stop sign because I don’t have a car right now.”

Milamay was driving north on Stanton Avenue. He did not stop at the stop sign because it had been knocked over and was lying on the ground, said Officer Jamie Sipes of the Ames Police Department.

“He failed to stop because, obviously, he didn’t see the stop sign,” Sipes said. “He said he had lived in the area for just a short time and wasn’t familiar with the road.”

Milamay, who lives on Knapp Street, was on his way to class at the time of the accident.

“I guess there’s supposed to be a stop sign there, but it wasn’t there all day, my roommates were telling me,” he said. “I didn’t see the stop sign there, and I didn’t think about it, I guess.”

Sipes said no tickets would be issued.

He said Milamay’s car, a 1997 Mazda Protege, sustained about $3,000 in damage, and Burns’ car, a 1985 Chrysler New Yorker, sustained about $4,000 in damage.

“I got him pretty square, actually,” Burns said. “Looking at my car, I thought it was going to blow up.”

Burns was taken to the Mary Greeley Medical Center emergency room but was released after treatment for minor whiplash.

Milamay was examined at the scene and walked home, but he said he went to the hospital later because he felt dizzy and had neck pain.

Burns had only owned the car for a short time. She said her grandmother in California had given it to her, and her mother had just driven it across country to Ames.

“It was new to me,” she said, adding that the vehicle was insured. “If I get [reimbursed for] replacement value, I’ll probably buy a new car,” she said.

For now, Burns will use a rental car.

Still unknown is why the stop sign was on the ground.

“We’d like to find out when and how it got down,” Sipes said. “We encourage people who do see a sign down like that to give us a call so that an accident doesn’t occur.”

The sign was back up almost immediately, he said.