Investigators say it’s possible the driver of a vehicle that hit and killed a young man from eastern Iowa may not know they struck a person. The hit-and-run crash happened around midnight Saturday on Interstate 80 near the I-380 interchange at Coralville.
Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Courtney Greene says 18-year-old Maxwell Wallace of Iowa City was hit by the vehicle shortly after he got out of a car driven by a friend. “(Wallace) apparently had an argument with the female driver of the vehicle,” Greene said. “That’s when he got out of the vehicle and started to walk down the on ramp.”
Two motorists who nearly hit Wallace stopped and called 911. Another motorist, that did strike Wallace, kept driving. “The driver may not have realized that he or she struck a person,” Greene said. “Their vehicle likely sustained significant damage to one of the wheel wells. It may also have undercarriage damage, and possible dents to a front fender or door.”
No information is known on the type, make or model of the vehicle involved.”After the unknown vehicle did injure (Wallace) fatally, a second vehicle then struck him,” Greene said. “That was a Ford Explorer and the driver of that vehicle did stop at the scene and she called 911. She has been cleared of any wrongdoing and no charges are expected to be filed against her.”
Anyone with information that can help investigators locate the hit-and-run vehicle should contact the Iowa State Patrol at 319-396-4414 or the Johnson County Sheriff’s department at 319-356-6800.