Police release name of construction worker killed on U.S. 61
Tara Becker tbecker@qctimes.com
Blue Grass, IA
A Rock Island man has been identified by the Iowa State Patrol as a worker killed Thursday after he was struck by a vehicle near Blue Grass.
Willie Nathaniel Holley, 62, of Rock Island, was pronounced dead at Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport, according to a crash report posted on the state patrol website. He was employed by Valley Construction, Rock Island.
The driver of the vehicle, Sebon Cordell Reese, 18, of Davenport, and his 1-year-old sister also were taken to the hospital, according to the report. Their conditions were not available Friday.
Trooper Dan Loussaert, public information officer for the state patrol, said charges are pending against Reese. He declined to say what charges he faces.
Around 10:10 a.m. Thursday, the Scott Emergency Communications Center received a report of a reckless driver traveling at a high rate of speed on northbound/eastbound U.S. 61, according to a Scott County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Deputy Gina Lieferman was in the area and saw the vehicle, a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis, driving east at a high rate of speed. She tried to turn around and pull over the vehicle, according to the news release.
The vehicle then entered the construction zone just east of Blue Grass and tried to turn off U.S. 61 at Coonhunters Road and struck Holley before coming to a stop off the pavement.
Further investigation revealed that prior to the crash, Reese came upon vehicles also traveling east and attempted to pass them on the left in the median and lost control of the vehicle.
Blue Grass Fire Department and Medic ambulance were immediately requested at the scene of the crash. Reese was detained without incident.
The accident remains under investigation.
The crew from Valley Construction recently began the process of putting in a turn lane onto Coonhunters Road.
Valley Construction president Greg Hass said Friday that Holley’s death was “devastating to our employees and the employees that witnessed it.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” he said.
Hass said he thinks Holley had worked for the company off and on for 10 years.
He described him as a “super great, friendly gentleman” who was well-liked by his co-workers.
Hass said the company is setting up a memorial fund and has offered to cover funeral expenses for Holley’s family. Grief counselors also are available for employees who need it, he said.
At the time of the crash, Reese was on probation in three separate cases in Scott County.
According to court documents:
On May 2, 2015, police responded to Vander Veer Botanical Park in the 2600 block of Harrison Street, Davenport, for a report of criminal mischief.
Reese was seen throwing rocks and debris at random vehicles and motorcycles that were driving on Harrison Street. Several vehicles were damaged. He also was in a group that threw a large piece of cement, which struck a southbound motorcyclist on his helmet.
On Aug. 16, 2015, police came into contact with a 2015 Audi in the 900 block of West 14th Street, Davenport. Police had received a report that the car was stolen.
The driver, later identified as Reese, refused to pull the vehicle over and eluded several marked squad cars. He reached speeds of 65 to 70 mph in a 30-mph zone, traveled off the roadway and disregarded several stop signs.
He crossed over into Illinois and continued to elude police until the car was no longer drivable.
The vehicle had been stolen in Bettendorf two days earlier. Reese removed the license plates and replaced them with drive away plates from a local car dealership. He also attempted to remove two identifying stickers from the rear window of the car.
On Nov. 3, 2015, Reese was operating a Chevrolet Suburban SUV at Casey’s General Store, 3700 W. Locust St., Davenport. The car had been stolen from Rock Island.
Reese was seen on store surveillance video getting out of the car and going inside the store. He took chips and a slice of pizza from the display and ran out without paying, according to court documents.
In March, he was given a suspended 15-year prison sentence and placed on three years of probation after pleading guilty to second-degree criminal mischief, first-degree theft, eluding and second-degree theft.
Scott County prosecutors on Friday filed a motion to revoke his probation.
Rock Island County online court records show that Reese was placed on 24 months of probation in June after pleading guilty to a felony retail theft charge.
===============
Construction worker killed in Highway 61 accident near Blue Grass-UPDATED
By Jeff Whitten Published: September 1, 2016, 11:12 am Updated: September 1, 2016, 12:02 pm
Hwy 61 at Coon Hunters Road accident 9/1/16 UPDATE: Scott County Sheriff Conard tells us a construction worker was hit and killed in the accident that happened Thursday morning on Highway 61 near Blue Grass.
According to Conard, Muscatine County got a report about a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed eastbound on Highway 61. A Scott County Sheriff Deputy was driving westbound on Highway 61 toward Blue Grass and saw the vehicle going in the other direction.
The deputy started to turn around. At this point, the vehicle in question was entering a construction zone and hit and killed a worker.
The driver of the vehicle then lost control and ended up at the corner of Coon Hunter’s road and Highway 61. The driver and infant passenger were both taken to the hospital. There is no word on injuries.
The identity of the construction work has not been released at this time.
SCOTT COUNTY, Iowa (KWQC) – Sheriffs deputies were called to the scene of an accident at Coon Hunter’s Road and Highway 61 near Blue Grass, Iowa. The accident happened around 10:30 a.m., Thursday, September 1, 2016.
Crews on scene tell us there was road construction going on at the scene of the accident.
Officials with the Iowa State Patrol tell us eastbound Highway 61 will be closed for an undetermined amount of time while crews work to clear the scene.
Stay tuned to KWQC-TV6 and kwqc.com for updates as we receive them.
===========
Posted 11:38 am, September 1, 2016, by Tory Brecht
BLUE GRASS -- A construction worker was killed when a driver traveling at a high rate of speed crashed in a construction zone on U.S. Highway 61 near Coonhunter's Road between Davenport and Blue Grass late Thursday morning.
According to Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard, a vehicle out of Muscatine was observed speeding near the construction zone. A deputy traveling the other way turned around to pursue, but the speeding vehicle crashed.
Conard said a worker from Valley Construction was a fatality. He also said that a baby was the sole passenger in the vehicle that crashed. There were also injuries as a result of the crash, but Conard did not know how serious they were or if they were to the driver or the child. No names are being released at this time, Conard added