Crime & PoliceNews

Northeast Iowa Mayor Killed in Two-Vehicle Crash Near Waverly

A northeast Iowa mayor was killed while he was a passenger in a driver’s education car that crashed into another vehicle south of Waverly Monday morning.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, the wreck occurred on Highway 218 near the Janesville exit at about 8:30 a.m. Monday.  Their report says a 14-year-old was driving a StreetsSmarts Drivers Ed car southbound when the vehicle dropped onto the shoulder of the road,  but the driver then overcorrected the steering wheel and crossed through the median over to the northbound lanes, colliding with a Toyota Highlander driven by 44-year-old Tabetha Gehrke of Waterloo.

Killed in the crash was 71-year-old Gregory “Mike” Harter, the driver’s ed instructor and the Mayor of Fairbank, a position he held since January of 2018.  Gehrke, the 14-year-old driver, and another 14-year-old passenger were injured and taken by Waverly Ambulance to Waterloo hospitals. All four were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

A state medical examiner, Janesville fire and police departments, Iowa DOT, and Bremer County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.

Mark Pitz

News Director/Weekdays 10am to 2pm on 95.9 KCHA
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