Police: Motorcyclist arrested in Cedar Rapids was driving 177 mph

A Marion man was arrested Wednesday in Cedar Rapids on multiple traffic related charges after police say he was clocked driving a motorcycle 177 mph on Highway 100 and Highway 30

Kyle Ward, 19, is charged with felony eluding, careless driving, speeding, disobeying a traffic control device, improper passing, failure to display registration plate, and improper tires.

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According to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Ward was doing dangerous motorcycle stunts on Highway 100 while someone in a pickup truck video recorded him around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Police saw the dangerous stunts and attempted a traffic stop on Ward and the pickup truck.

The truck stopped, but Ward attempted to elude officers and led them on a chase that ended in a parking lot at 18th Street and 76th Avenue SW, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers didn’t follow Ward for the entirety of the chase, but contacted Iowa State Patrol troopers who were patrolling in an airplane at the time. The officers in the airplane were able to keep Ward in their sights, and let the Cedar Rapids Police Officers know where he was. The plane also clocked Ward driving at 177 mph during the chase, the release states.

Ward’s speed tops the highest speed recorded in Iowa by the Iowa State Patrol in 2024, which was 164 mph in January 2024.

Ward had his first appearance in court Thursday and is being held in the Linn County Jail on a $7,000 bond.

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