Lang
11/13/21
Sentencing is set for Monday for an Iowa City man found guilty of killing another man and injuring several others in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 80.
In September, Judge Jason Besler found 34-year-old Stephen Lucore guilty of 2nd Degree Murder. He was also found guilty of homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, willful injury causing serious injury, and three counts of willful injury causing bodily injury.
The incident in question occurred about 9:30 pm June 16th 2019 on I-80 near Oxford. Lucore’s wrong-way driving caused a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by 31-year-old David Sawyer of Frisco, Texas. A passenger in Sawyer’s vehicle, 64-year-old Robert Sawyer of Nacona, Texas, died in the crash. Three other people suffered injuries.
In his ruling, Besler said because Lucore intentionally drove his car into another vehicle and accelerated to keep Sawyer from avoiding the crash, there was no dispute that Lucore acted with malice.
Lucore faces up to 50 years on the murder and vehicular homicide charge, of which he must serve at least 35 years before being eligible for parole. The other charges could add another 25 years to his sentence.
Sentencing is set for 1:30 Monday afternoon at the Johnson County Courthouse.