Court Street in Iowa City reopens after fiery crash

UPDATE: Court Street is now open after authorities closed the street following a one-car accident in which a driver hit a fire hydrant, tree, and light post, causing the car to become fully engulfed in flames.

Iowa City police said Thursday morning that an officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a speed violation near Court Street and Muscatine Avenue just after 2 a.m. Thursday. The vehicle then began to speed up to an unsafe speed, and the release said the officer decided not to pursue the car.

As the officer continued to check the area and approached the intersection of Court Street and Linden Court, he came upon a single-car crash involving the same car. The car had struck a tree, fire hydrant, utility pole, and other objects and was on fire and fully engulfed. The driver had been ejected from the vehicle.

First responders immediately began first aid, and the driver, 29-year-old Angelo Remirez of Iowa City, was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment. No update on his condition was available as of Thursday morning, but police said he is expected to recover.

Though the incident remains under investigation, initial information indicates alcohol was a factor in the accident, the release said.

Court Street was closed following the accident, and bus routes were diverted, as officials worked to clean up the scene between Washington Park Road and Shrader Road. The street had re-opened as of 10 a.m.

[mqMap key="uDqF" width="485" height="420" src="http://www.mapquest.com/embed?icid=mqdist_mb_wp&c=uDqF&maptype=map&zm=16&cr=41.65794015744866,-91.49536708465577&projection=sm&showScale=false"]My New Map[/mqMap]