Fatal County Home Road crash remains under investigation

ROBINS - There are no signs that Keith Furne braked before rear-ending Jennifer Perez on County Home Road last week, a crash that sent Perez and two daughters to the hospital and killing two other daughters.

'It looks like the first on-scene mark is the impact,” said Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner on Monday.

The Linn County Sheriff's Office and Marion Police Department are still trying to piece together the cause of the Nov. 3 crash that killed 16-year-old Selena Apodaca and her sister, 13-year-old Isabella Severson. Perez, 37, of Belle Plaine, 14-year-old Elysia Severson and Perez's 4-year-old daughter were also seriously injured. They remain hospitalized.

Funeral services for the two girls take place at 3 p.m. Thursday at River of Life Church, 3801 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Cedar Rapids. Visitation is from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Arrangements are by the Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion.

Authorities said last week Perez was in her 2007 Chevrolet Aveo on County Home Road north of Robins at 3:44 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3. Perez was stopped behind a 1997 Dodge Ram waiting to turn left onto North Troy Road. Perez was rear-ended by Furne, a 35-year-old Cedar Rapids man. Furne was driving a Chevrolet Silverado.

Gardner said authorities spoke with Furne at the scene of the crash, but are not yet disclosing what he said.

'We are aware of what he said happened prior to impact,” Gardner said. 'We're not willing to release that until we've talked to all of the drivers involved.”

Investigators have spoken with the driver of the Dodge Ram, but Gardner didn't think they have spoken with Perez, yet.

Furne did not show any signs of impairment at the scene, police said. Visibility and weather do not appear to be factors in the crash, but investigators have looked into whether the setting sun could have created an issue.

Crash reconstructionists are also working to determine how fast Furne was going at the time of impact, Gardner said. The speed limit on that section of road is 55 mph.

Authorities have served warrants on Furne's vehicle and contents of his vehicle, including his cellphone, Gardner said. He said such an action is customary in a fatal crash investigation.

Furne could face charges in the crash, but that determination is not to be made until the investigation is complete, Gardner said.

Apodaca was a junior at Linn-Mar High School in Marion and Severson was a seventh-grader at Excelsior Middle School in Marion.