Police again seeking tips on hit-and-run that killed Hiawatha man

More than two months have passed since an elderly man was hit and killed as he walked along the shoulder of a dark highway in Hiawatha.

Police again are requesting the public's help in the case.

Eugene Fisher, 89, of Hiawatha, was struck by a vehicle early on the morning of Oct. 8 as he walked along Robins Road, police said. An off-duty police officer found him around 2:30 a.m., lying face down just south of Tower Terrace Road. Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hiawatha Police Chief Dennis Marks said the incident is still under investigation. No arrests have been made.

“We're still going to investigate the case, and we'll take it wherever the evidence leads us,” Marks said.

According to a search warrant filed in Linn County District Court, police questioned a Hiawatha woman about her possible involvement in the case and later seized the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche she was driving that morning. The 49-year-old woman told investigators she did not remember hitting anyone or anything. But later, when she was told about markings found on the vehicle and on Fisher's clothing, she told police she believed she was involved in the crash, according to the search warrant.

The woman's name was listed in the search warrant, but SourceMedia Group has chosen not to publish her name, because she has not been arrested or charged with a crime. Attempts to reach the woman have been unsuccessful.

Parts of the vehicle were processed at the state crime lab in Des Moines, but Marks confirmed the vehicle had been returned to the owner. He declined to comment further.

Investigators determined Fisher was walking north along the northbound lane when he was hit from behind, according to the search warrant. A flashlight was found at the scene. A sheriff's deputy wrote in the search warrant that he was familiar with Fisher and had seen him walking at various hours of the day and night in the past.

The crash site was less than a half-mile from Fisher's home in the Bali Hai Estates mobile home park. The shoulder is narrow there, where the speed limit is 45 mph.

An autopsy concluded Fisher was dealt a glancing blow by the vehicle and was not run over, according to the search warrant.

Marks said the woman who was interviewed has continued to cooperate with police.  He said it is possible the driver involved may have not have realized the vehicle hit Fisher, or thought it was an animal.

“There's nothing right now that definitely says that this was a criminal act,” Marks said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Linn County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-CS-CRIME.