Police follow antifreeze trail to solve hit-and-run

Police followed a trail of antifreeze Saturday morning to find a pickup involved in a hit-and-run.

Around 8:30 a.m., a caller reported damage in a parking lot at 603 Oakland Rd. NE. Investigators determined the vehicle struck a parked car, a street sign and a utility pole when it drove through the lot.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said the utility pole fell over onto multiple cars, and the power lines attached to it were still energized when officers arrived.

Hamblin said a volunteer officer followed the antifreeze trail for about six blocks to a garage at 1129 I Ave. NE, where a red Ford pickup was located.

The registered owner, Rodney Jons, 31, of Cedar Rapids, admitted to officers he was involved in the crash around 11 p.m. Friday. He told them he got food at Taco Bell before the crash, and claimed he lost control because he was focused on eating, Hamblin said.

Jons was cited for hit-and-run, striking a fixture on a highway and violating his work driving permit. He was allowed to sign a promise to appear in court.