FrankYounesLawyerReviews.comWhat happened
A 24-year-old Dubuque man was killed early Saturday morning after a vehicle struck two cars that were stopped on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 20 near mile marker 286, south of Earlville in Delaware County. According to KCRG, the crash was reported around 2 a.m. A Toyota Prius carrying two Iowa City residents and a Honda CRV driven by the Dubuque man were parked on the shoulder when an eastbound Chevrolet Equinox, driven by a 21-year-old from La Motte, struck both parked vehicles and the CRV's driver, who was outside his vehicle at the time. The CRV driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The two Iowa City residents, ages 32 and 20, were taken to Regional Medical Center in Manchester with injuries. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating; no citations have been announced as of this writing. (KCRG; Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; KWWL)
Our condolences
A predawn stop along a dark highway shoulder should never turn deadly. Our condolences go out to everyone who loved the young Dubuque man who lost his life, and we're thinking of the two Iowa City residents recovering from their injuries. Our thanks go to the first responders and the Iowa State Patrol for their work at a difficult overnight scene.
Safety context
Being struck while stopped on a highway shoulder is a genuine, well-documented danger, not a freak occurrence. Research using federal crash data found that "Scenario 2" crashes — people struck while leaving, working on, or returning to a vehicle stopped on the roadway or shoulder — kill roughly 300 people nationwide every year, with cases climbing sharply over the past decade (IIHS). Drivers approaching any vehicle stopped on a shoulder, for any reason, should slow down and move over a full lane whenever it's safe to do so — and anyone who has to stop on a shoulder should get as far off the traveled roadway as possible and, if they can, wait somewhere other than directly beside traffic. Iowa law backs this up: under Iowa Code § 321.323A, a driver approaching a stationary passenger vehicle that is continually displaying its hazard lights must either move into a lane away from it, if it's safe to do so, or slow to a reasonable speed below the posted limit and be prepared to stop (Iowa Department of Public Safety).
The rights of the families after a crash like this
In crashes like this one, where a moving vehicle strikes people and cars stopped on a road shoulder, families of those killed or hurt generally have the right to pursue a claim against the driver whose vehicle struck them, and, depending on the facts, potentially against other responsible parties as well. If the reporting that the Equinox struck both parked vehicles and the CRV's driver while he was outside his car is accurate, the young man's family may have claims against the Equinox's driver; questions like his speed, attentiveness, and how much room the shoulder afforded are exactly what the ongoing Iowa State Patrol investigation will need to sort out. If it's confirmed that the Prius or the CRV had their hazard lights on at the time, Iowa Code § 321.323A required the Equinox's driver to move into a lane away from the shoulder, if it was safe to do so, or slow well below the posted speed limit — and whether that legal duty was followed could matter to how fault is ultimately assessed. Nothing about fault has been officially determined, and no citations have been announced as of this writing.
Learn more about your rights: Wrongful Death · Car Accidents
How I help families in crisis
A sudden loss like this one can upend a family's world in an instant. My job is to take that stress off a family's shoulders, take up the shield to protect and advocate for the rights of their loved ones, and guide them through a devastatingly difficult time. When a family calls, I move quickly — opening an investigation right away while evidence and witness memories are still fresh, bringing in the right accident reconstruction and safety experts, and giving timely, formal notice to every insurer and responsible party so my clients' rights are protected from day one. I've recovered more than $23 million for injured people and their families, and I'm proud of the trust reflected in countless five-star client reviews and peer endorsements and being part of a Best of Omaha-winning personal injury team in both 2025 and 2026.
If you or someone you love was affected by this crash or one like it, I offer a free, no-pressure conversation, and if I take your case, there's no fee unless I win.
Frequently asked questions
- What happened in the Highway 20 crash near Earlville, Iowa?
- Early Saturday morning, an eastbound Chevrolet Equinox struck two vehicles parked on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 20 near mile marker 286, as well as the driver of one of them, who was standing outside his car. The 24-year-old Dubuque man was killed; two Iowa City residents were injured. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating.
- Does Iowa law require drivers to move over or slow down for vehicles stopped on the shoulder?
- Yes. Iowa Code § 321.323A requires a driver approaching a stationary vehicle — including an ordinary passenger vehicle — that is continually displaying its hazard lights to either change lanes away from it, if safe, or slow to a reasonable speed below the posted limit and be prepared to stop.
- Who can be held responsible when a moving vehicle strikes cars parked on a highway shoulder?
- Generally, the family of someone killed or hurt can pursue a claim against the driver whose vehicle struck them, and potentially against other responsible parties depending on the facts. Nothing about fault has been officially determined in this case, and this is general information, not a conclusion about this specific crash.
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