Tragedy has struck Iowa State for the second time in less than a week.

Following the death of ISU student Tim Widmer in a car-motorcycle collision a week ago, ISU student Ryan Heuton, sophomore in sociology and liberal arts, died Thursday morning in a car accident in his hometown of Carroll.

Chief Deputy Bill Croghan of the Carroll County Police Department said Ryan Heuton, 20, was killed in a head-on collision that occurred at about 9 a.m. while traveling north on Mahogany Avenue, a rural gravel road.

The driver of the other car, which was traveling south, was Heuton’s younger brother, Jason, 17, a junior at Carroll High School.

A spokeswoman from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Omaha, Neb., where Jason Heuton was transported to on Thursday, said he was in serious condition and was undergoing surgery as of press time.

Croghan said the accident was not alcohol-related. Fog also was ruled out as a cause of the accident, he said, although fog delays were reported Thursday morning.

He said the Iowa State Patrol will continue investigating the accident.

Joey Steffes, longtime friend of Ryan Heuton and sophomore in agricultural business, said Heuton did not have classes on Thursdays, and he had gone home to visit his family.

He said he believed that Jason Heuton had suffered two broken legs, a broken collar bone and a punctured lung from the accident.

Steffes said he and Ryan Heuton had known each other since childhood, and they had lived together in the same residence hall during their freshman year.

Last semester, Steffes, Heuton and some of their friends shared an apartment in Stanton Manor.

Steffes said Heuton, who also had a younger sister, who was a high school sophomore, was “family-oriented. He spent a lot of time in Carroll … he didn’t spend a lot of time up here; he had a cousin and a girlfriend [in Carroll],” he said.

“He was really close to his family,” Steffes said, adding that Heuton had a close cousin who died in an automobile accident less than a year ago. He said the cousin’s death was hard on Ryan Heuton.

Kathleen MacKay, dean of students, said she hopes people respect his family’s privacy.

“Any death is a tragedy, particularly a sudden death,” MacKay said, adding this is a time for students to “take care of each other.”

Jerome Heavens, sophomore in sports management, said he met Heuton in the residence halls during their freshman year and “became real close.”

“He was a real fun person to hang around with,” Heavens said.

He said Ryan Heuton always lent him his car and helped him out.

He added that Heuton’s parents helped them move into their apartment.

“Among the material things he gave, he gave his heart,” Heavens said.

He said Ryan Heuton was a “great person,” and he called Heuton’s death “a tragedy.”

“Never in a million years did I think this could happen to him,” he said. “There are really no words to describe how caring he was.”

Kris Kohorst, sophomore in finance, said Heuton was one of her best friends.

“He always had a smile on his face,” she said. “He always listened to me.”

Kohorst said he will be missed a lot.

Steffes agreed that Heuton was a good friend.

“He was just a great guy, and he didn’t deserve to die,” he said. “He was really smart, really social; he had a lot of things going for him — he was too young to die.”