Two people killed, two officers hurt in Interstate 380 crash in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two people were killed and two Cedar Rapids police officers were hurt in a crash on southbound Interstate 380 Saturday morning that occurred as the officers were investigating a separate accident on the interstate.

According to a news release, officers were investigating an accident in the southbound lanes of I-380 near the First Avenue West exit Saturday morning. They were sitting in their marked police vehicle, a sport-utility vehicle, when the SUV was struck from behind by another SUV. The original accident was reported at 2:27 a.m., and the second crash occurred at 2:48 a.m., police spokesman Greg Buelow said.

The two people in the striking vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The two officers in the police vehicle were treated at local hospitals for non-life threatening injuries, Buelow said.

Southbound I-380 was closed to traffic early Saturday morning.

While accident reconstructionists were working at the scene midmorning Saturday, traffic in both directions of I-380 is now open.

The names of those killed in the crash are being withheld until their family members are notified, Buelow said.

More details will be added when available.