Details of Walmart crash revealed: A frantic scene

For about 18 minutes, the car sat on Terrance Adams' throat in the Walmart parking lot, dispatch logs show.

Adams, 23, of Chicago, was hit from behind just after 2 p.m. Tuesday as he walked away from Walmart, 2645 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE. He remained in serious condition Thursday in the intensive care unit at St. Luke's Hospital, police said.

As frantic minutes passed until rescuers arrived, one of the car's front tires rested on Adams' neck as he laid motionless, a witness told KCRG-TV9. Adams had a faint pulse at the time, according to police scanner traffic.

Dispatchers received the first report of the accident at 2:11 p.m., and Linn County Sheriff's Deputy Jim Dunn was the first on the scene about two minutes later. Two paramedics from the Hiawatha Fire Department arrived at 2:16 p.m. More police and rescue crews were right behind them.

Cedar Rapids firefighters freed Adams from under the car around 2:29 p.m. by inflating a hard rubber balloon under the car, Capt. Andy Olesen said. Adams was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital.

Police Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said dispatchers never tell onlookers to move the car off a person themselves.

“We never, ever, ever move the car,” Hamblin said. “You can do more damage by moving the car.”

Investigators determined the car's driver, Dorothy Simanek, 85, of Walker, was headed east, then turned left into one of the lot's rows and struck Adams near the store's west entrance, police said. Video surveillance shows that the car dragged Adams “a few feet,” Hamblin said. She did not know the exact distance, but said it was less than a car length.

No charges will be filed against Simanek, police said. Because the accident happened on private property, Hamblin said the only possible charges would be drunken driving, driving on a suspended license or reckless driving.

According to Iowa law, reckless driving is defined as driving “in such manner as to indicate either a willful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.”

“Reckless driving is pretty specific,” Hamblin said. “You have to do something in a careless manner, and this was not careless.”

Hamblin said no tests were done to determine whether Simanek was impaired. She said officers did not see, hear or smell anything that would give them cause for such tests.

Police are likely to ask the Iowa Department of Transportation to re-evaluate Simanek for a driver's license, based on the seriousness of the crash, Hamblin said.

Reached at her home Thursday, Simanek declined to comment. Meanwhile, Adams' family gathered at the hospital.

At tonight's vigil, Dalton said Adams is passionate about music and enjoyed sports and the outdoors. She said he's active with his children and like an uncle to her own kids.

“We're trying to hope for a miracle,” Dalton said.