Iowa
Iowa City sheriff’s office investigating reports of a car flashing police lights
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – There is an investigation after reports of a car following other vehicles on interstate 380 with flashing lights, but it’s not a law officer.
The Johnson County sheriff said the most important thing to do is verify if you’re dealing with an undercover police officer. In this case, the sheriff says it wasn’t an undercover officer.
The driver in the car allegedly following others reached out to the Johnson County Sheriff, who is now investigating.
“I was driving home from Cedar Rapids and I passed that car, and when I did they got behind me and turned on red and blue lights,” said Kaylee Picek, who was followed by the suspicious car.
She said when she was on her way home the car started flashing what appeared to be police lights. But she didn’t pull over, because something didn’t seem right.
“Then he got behind me and followed me for a while and I called 911 because I was like ‘there’s no way this Red Buick is a police car, there’s no way,’” Picek said.
The 911 operator reassured her the Buick was not part of a police department or sheriff’s office. The car eventually stopped following her.
Sheriff Kunkle said she did the right thing in a confusing moment.
“Especially if it’s an officer from a local agency, they can verify directly over the radio that that is in fact a law enforcement officer,” said Sheriff Brad Kunkle.
Iowa has laws about which vehicles are allowed to use flashing lights, especially if they’re blue. But Sheriff Kunkle wouldn’t say if the driver of this car will face charges… only that the situation is under investigation.
For Picek, she’s just grateful her drive home ended the way it did.
“If you have any doubts about it, calling 911, calling the police, if it is a police officer, it’s not gonna be a big deal, they’ll just tell you to pull over. And if it isn’t a police officer you might have saved your own life,” Picek said.
Picek said while she doesn’t think her particular situation was likely to become violent, she’s worried it would have become dangerous if she had pulled over.
“I think maybe it might have been some road rage thing. Or more so a power trip thing, he got passed, he didn’t like it. And he wanted to control how other people drove without doing it the proper way.”
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol said it responded to 206 calls for service after another weekend winter storm Saturday.
From 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, ISP said it covered 88 crashes, with 74 resulting in property damage.
Officials said one person died and 13 others were injured.
The patrol had 118 motorist assists.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
See Iowa DOT snowplow camera capture moment SUV rear ends plow
An Iowa DOT snowplow was hit while clearing snow along Iowa Highway 60 in Sioux County on Nov. 29, 2025. The crash was caught on the plow’s cameras.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, for a large swath of the state, from northwest Iowa to much of central Iowa and southeast Iowa.
Drivers should expect slippery conditions.
Snow fell through the morning with accumulations of 2 to 3 inches across most of Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. The light, fluffy snow will taper off in the afternoon.
The weather service advises that snow-covered roads will make travel slick and more difficult and to use caution.
The counties affected include Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello and Davis.
Where did snow fall the most in Iowa?
Southern Iowa felt the brunt of the snow Saturday morning, with some areas experiencing nearly five inches of accumulation. Here are the highest totals so far in Iowa:
- Milton: 4.5 inches
- Parnell: 4.5 inches
- Norwalk: 3.8 inches
- Badger: 3.5 inches
- Bloomfield: 3.3 inches
- Carroll: 3.2 inches
- Buffalo: 3.2 inches
- North English: 3 inches
- Winterset: 2.6 inches
How much snow has fallen in Des Moines?
The Des Moines International Airport reported 1.2 inches of snow as of 6 a.m. Saturday. Norwalk, just south of Des Moines, reported 3.8 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. Clive reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.
How much snow did Iowa City get?
North Liberty, just north of Iowa City, reported three inches of snow as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiffin, which is to the northwest of Iowa City, reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.
Roads across the state are covered in snow
The Iowa DOT reported that, as of 11 a.m., many of central Iowa’s highways and interstates were completely covered with snow. The organization said travel on I-80 from central Iowa to the Illinois border is not advised.
“Visibility and road conditions are deteriorating rapidly, causing multiple crashes and closing lanes,” the DOT said in a social media post around 11 a.m.
More snow followed by frigid temps
A cold weather advisory is in effect for much of northern, central and southeastern Iowa into Sunday morning. In the Des Moines area, wind chill values could drop to as low as -15. Wind chills across the state are expected between -20 and -30 starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.
(This article has been updated to include new information.)
CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.
Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.
Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.
Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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