CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) – A USPS mail truck driver was arrested March 12, 2026, in connection with a December 2025 crash that killed a 73-year-old Cedar Falls woman. Boakai Herron was arrested and charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian’s right of way, according to Cedar Falls Public Safety. The crash occurred Dec. 20, 2025, at approximately 11:25 a.m. in the 500 block of Main Street. Cedar Falls Public Safety personnel and MercyOne Paramedics responded to the scene after reports of a collision between a USPS delivery vehicle and a pedestrian. The pedestrian, identified as Charlotte Wells, 73, of Cedar Falls, was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Cedar Falls Public Safety said the accident remains under investigation.
AMES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) — A man wanted for an attempted murder in Fort Dodge is in police custody after allegedly killing two people Friday night in Ames, KCCI reports. Ames police officers were called to an apartment on Tripp Street just after 8:40 p.m. for a report of a stabbing. When they arrived, they found an adult female and a young child with numerous stab wounds. Both victims were treated by emergency personnel but were pronounced dead at the scene. Officers located the suspect, 22-year-old Davontrez R. McCuddin, of Fort Dodge, nearby and arrested him. He’s been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The Ames Police Department says there is no ongoing threat to the public. The case is under investigation. Authorities had offered a reward for information leading to McCuddin’s arrest after they say he shot a 36-year-old man several times in Fort Dodge.
DAVENPORT, Iowa. (KWQC/KCRG) –Despite the age of cellphone usage and distracted driving, traffic deaths are at a historic low in Iowa. In 2025, the entire state saw 260 traffic deaths. “This is the lowest ever recorded in the state of Iowa for fatalities,” Larry Grant, a state safety planner with the Iowa Department of Transportation, said. The numbers indicate a gradual decline since 1970 when Iowa saw 912 traffic deaths. In the last two years, traffic deaths decreased by 119. State officials said the reduction is a combination of several things, pointing to changes in vehicle safety and creating safer roadways. The additions of roundabouts and advancements in post-crash care, with EMS training and response has also led to the decline in traffic deaths. More recently, the addition of Iowa’s hands-free law made a significant dent in traffic deaths even before citations were issued. State data indicates Iowa currently sits at 44 traffic deaths in 2026.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cedar Rapids Fire Department crews responded to a house fire Saturday on the 200 block of 27th Street NE, according to a department media release. Firefighters were dispatched at 11:12 a.m. and arrived to find smoke and fire coming from the rear of a single-family home. Hose lines were deployed for fire attack while crews simultaneously searched the structure. The fire was heavily involved in the rear of the home and the attic space. Crews brought the fire under control within 30 minutes. One adult and one child were home at the time of the fire. Both had safely exited before firefighters arrived. No medical treatment was reported. The home sustained heavy fire damage to the rear and attic. The cause of the fire has not been released.
