More people could have been hurt in fatal Iowa City crash, witnesses say

UPDATE: Witnesses at the Iowa City apartment complex where police say a woman died after being run over by a truck Sunday evening said there could have been more injuries or fatalities.

Ken Barnes, who lives at the apartment complex at 315 E. First St. and was there Sunday when Pamela Gross, 44, of Iowa City, was hit and killed in the parking lot, said several families – including children – were hanging out on the complex's lower level when Miranda Lalla, 50, of Iowa City, is accused of running over Gross.

“They were all barbecuing down there,” Barnes said. “If that truck wasn't sitting there, who knows what would have happened.”

A dented SUV still sat in the parking lot with a broken taillight Monday morning, along with a sedan that also had broken glass and a dent in its rear end. Barnes said the SUV prevented the Dodge Ram that Lalla was reportedly driving from careening into the other families who were outside at the time.

“It was a bad situation,” said Barnes who, along with other witnesses in the complex, said he came down to help Gross after the collision. “It didn't look good.”

Gross died in the collision, and Lalla was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, her second such offense, after officers tested her blood alcohol content at the scene at .093, according to Iowa City police. Lalla refused further chemical testing, but officers obtained a search warrant for a blood test, and toxicology test are pending.

Lalla is being held at the Johnson County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash-only bond, and officers are continuing to investigate the events that led to Gross' death. Iowa City police Lt. Bill Campbell said investigators are looking into all aspects of the incident before discussing the possibility of filing additional charges.

“We are considering every aspect of it from Ms. Gross' involvement in it to the driving behavior and the interaction that led up to it,” Campbell said.

According to the Iowa City Police Department, officers responded to the apartment complex at 7:18 p.m. Sunday on a report of a motor vehicle accident with injuries. After arriving, investigators determined that Lalla and Gross had been involved in a physical altercation.

After the physical portion of the fight, Lalla is accused of getting into her Dodge Ram pickup to leave, according to police. Her driver's side door was open, and Gross was standing immediately next to the truck between the passenger compartment and the door when Lalla started reversing, according to police. Gross was knocked to the ground and run over, causing her death, police reported.

Lalla told investigators that she had been at the Jobsite bar in Iowa City having “a few beers that evening,” according to a criminal complaint. She said she drove a friend home, and they began to fight in the parking lot, according to the complaint.

Barnes said he was vacuuming when the incident happened, and someone had already called 911 when he came outside. He went down the stairs to help the woman, as did several others, he said. One tenant in the complex caught the entire incident on his cellular phone's video camera – starting with the physical altercation, according to Barnes.

Barnes said he didn't know Gross well but said she has a sister in town.

Lalla lives above the new Giadiniera Chicago Kitchen restaurant at 227 E. First St. - across the street from the apartment complex where the incident occurred. David Meyers, a restaurant employee, said he knew Lalla lived above the eatery but didn't know her well.

“She was very polite,” Meyers said, adding that he never any problems with her.

And, he said, Lalla had a “wonderful dog” – a Rottweiler named Samson. But, Meyers said, he could tell “she had a hard life.”

Lalla was first convicted of OWI in May 2006. In 2002, she was convicted of driving while her license was suspended or revoked.

Gross has a lengthy criminal history that includes drug, alcohol and assault charges – including assault on a peace officer.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the Iowa City Police Department CrimeStoppers at 319-358-8477.

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