Marion man faces drunken driving count after crash

CEDAR RAPIDS — A pickup truck driver faces a drunken driving charge after witnesses said he was speeding and driving erratically Wednesday afternoon on Highway 13 and hit another vehicle from behind, injuring its teenage driver, Linn County authorities said.

Jordan Williams, 34, of Marion, faces charges of operating while intoxicated, first offense; following too closely; failure to obey a traffic control device; and failure to maintain control, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies and other first responders were called out about 1:30 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash near Highway 13 and Mount Vernon Road. Bystanders already had pulled the drivers out of their vehicles because the pickup was smoldering.

The Sheriff’s Office said that, based on an investigation and witness statements, a red Chevrolet Silverado was driving at a high rate of speed and erratically northbound on Highway 13 from Highway 30, and ran a red light at Mount Vernon Road. It then collided with the rear end of a white Ford Explorer — sending both vehicles over the median and coming to rest in the opposite direction and blocking southbound traffic.

The Sheriffs’ Office identified the Explorer driver as Donita Krogman, 17, of Cascade, who was taken to Mercy Medical Center with what were described as minor injuries.