March 29, 2024

Iowa sheriff says he deserved ticket issued after collision

BURLINGTON — An eastern Iowa sheriff says he’s to blame for a collision between his unmarked vehicle and a pickup on an access road to a firing range. The Hawk Eye reports that the accident occurred Aug. 26 at the Big Hollow Recreation Area. Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone says his sport utility vehicle hit an oncoming pickup on a sharp bend of the road when he looked away at something in a camping area. Johnstone told the newspaper that the accident “was clearly my fault, and I deserved to be ticketed.”

He says he’s already paid the $200 fine. The Iowa State Patrol investigated the collision at his request.

No injuries have been reported.