116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Driver on phone with wife before fatal wreck
IOWA CITY - Investigators are still not sure what caused a semi driver to crash into the median along Interstate 80 in Coralville Tuesday night.
Lt. Randy Jones of the Iowa State Patrol said the male driver was severely burned after the cab of the semi burst into flames.
The driver had been on the phone with his wife just minutes before the crash, Jones said. Investigators are now seeking phone records to determine if the driver was using his phone when he crashed the truck.
Interstate 80 was closed for hours near Coral Ridge Mall Tuesday night as investigators searched for additional clues. At least five DOT dump trucks, a flatbed semi trailer, and a tractor were used to clean up what was left of the charred semi and trailer.
An investigation is ongoing.
Crews work the scene of a semi accident on Interstate 80 near the 240 mile marker in Coralville on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. The crash occurred just before 8 p.m. (Mark Carlson/SourceMedia Group News)
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