CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol said the daily death rate on Iowa’s roads for 2023 was 20% higher than the 5-year average. Last year, the state of Iowa teamed up with several other states to try and reduce the number of fatalities, but the Iowa State Patrol says it hasn’t worked. State Trooper Bob Conrad said they were seeing more people not just speeding but hitting triple digits. The state patrol has numerous social media posts showing cars it pulled over going over 100 MPH: like a car just outside Dubuque going 115 MPH, or a driver in Johnson County going 123 MPH. In the first two months of the year, the patrol has written 117 tickets to drivers going more than 100 MPH and that’s leading to deaths. With warmer weather approaching, Trooper Conrad worried about how many more people won’t be able to make it home safely.
LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A jury has found a Cedar Rapids man charged with murder guilty on Wednesday. On February 15th, police responded to the 2100 block of Buckingham Dr. NW for a report of a shooting incident. Responders arrived and found a 27-year-old male victim in an apartment with gunshot wounds. Emergency medical care was given at the scene. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital and later died of his wounds. Police identified the victim as Jorge Maldonado-Vasquez. Following an investigation, police arrested and charged Bannon Johnson in Maldonado-Vasquez’s death. On March 6th, 2024, a jury found Johnson guilty of Murder in the Second Degree. That charge carries a potential imprisonment of up to 50 years with eligibility for parole.
MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – Two people were injured in a semi rollover crash on Highway 13/151 Wednesday morning. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office said it happened at around 8:45 a.m. when the driver of a seed truck lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled in the southbound lanes of Highway 13/151 near Travis Road. The southbound lanes were completely blocked by the truck, and one of the northbound lanes was blocked with seed corn and debris. The sheriff’s office said first responders found the driver and a passenger trapped in the vehicle. Crews had to extract them from the truck cab. A helicopter airlifted one of the injured people to the hospital, while the other was taken by ambulance. Officials said they are not releasing the names of the people injured in this crash due to the severity of the injuries.
WINNESHIEK COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – Officials are asking for the public’s help in locating a man wanted on multiple charges and arrest warrants. 25-year-old Brandon Kimber was last seen driving a 2016 red Ford Focus. Law enforcement officials say the car was stolen and used in the commission of crimes. The car was last seen on Wednesday in southern Winneshiek County, but officials say Kimber has been on the run and could be anywhere in the area. If either the car or Kimber is located, please call 911.
