Cedar Rapids man charged with vehicular homicide in I-380 fatal crash

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man has been charged with vehicular homicide and operating while intoxicated following a crash that killed a motorcyclist Thursday afternoon.

Carlos Garcia, 39, was driving south on Interstate 380 Thursday in a black Buick SUV when he started toward the exit ramp to Highway 30 east. He then veered away from the exit ramp, through a grassy divide, and back onto I-380 where he hit the motorcycle, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

The driver of the motorcycle, Jeffery Lankford, 53, of Cedar Rapids, was in the southbound inside lane. He was thrown from the motorcycle and pinned against the median cables dividing the north and southbound lanes of I-380 and died at the scene, according to a criminal complaint against Garcia.

Along with the vehicular homicide and drunken-driving charges, Garcia faces additional charges of driving with a suspended license, interference with official acts, disarming a police officer and possession of a controlled substance, according to the complaint.

When police responded to the scene just before 4 p.m. Thursday, they observed clear signs that Garcia was intoxicated, the complaint states. He refused all field sobriety tests, and became combative with officers. Police obtained a search warrant for a blood sample from Garcia, and he was eventually taken to a hospital.

Garcia had six bags of cocaine on his person, the complaint states.

While in the hospital, Garcia was able to take a knife out of the pocket of an officer, according to the complaint. He almost disarmed the officer of his baton, as well, and managed to open the safety latch on the officer’s duty pistol.

Garcia is currently being held in the Linn County Jail.

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