Hunter
08/30/23
Witnesses describe what they saw in the fatal accident between a National Guard soldier out for a jog and head UI basketball coach Fran McCaffery’s son, Jack, during a bench trial Tuesday.
McCaffery was charged with Failure to Yield to a pedestrian in the right of way, a simple misdemeanor. The teen waived his appearance under the stipulation that he admitted being the driver in the accident.
Testimony indicated 45-year-old Corey Hite of Cedar Rapids, was hit in the left lane of a crosswalk on Melrose Avenue. Hite was flipped up in the air after another vehicle’s driver waved him across and McCaffery hit him.
McCaffery stopped and made a 911 call, while being described as “emotional” and providing a sweatshirt to a mental health advocate who stopped to help, so that she could help stop the bleeding from Hite’s head.
An Iowa City police officer who responded testified that McCaffery admitted he may have been going a little over the speed limit when the incident occurred. Police investigator Ryan Schnackel also testified, saying that he concluded McCaffery wouldn’t have been able to stop in that short period of time when Hite came jogging across the street.
Sixth Judicial District Magistrate Mark Neary presided, and will file a written ruling at a later date.