Lang
6/26/21
A trial date has been set for an Iowa City man accused of initiating a head-on collision on Interstate 80 that resulted in the death of a Texas man.
Online records indicate that earlier this week judge Jason Besler cleared the way to proceed with a July 6th bench trial for 34-year-old Stephen Lucore. Lucore is accused of driving his Hyundai Sonata eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-80 in June of 2019 without his headlights at night, traveling at 80 miles an hour when he collided with a Honda head-on. A passenger in the other vehicle, 64-year-old Robert Sawyer of Nocona, Texas, died of his injuries. Four other passengers in the Honda were injured.
Lucore allegedly told authorities he was trying to kill himself. A few weeks before the crash, Lucore allegedly tried to kill himself by jumping off a parking ramp.
Lucore faces life in prison if convicted of 1st degree Murder. He’s also charged with Vehicular Homicide, Serious Injury by Vehicle, and four counts of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury.
In 2017, Lucore was given a deferred judgement and probation on a Domestic Abuse Assault Impeding Airflow charge. He also has subsequent charges for allegedly violating a no-contact order.