Man accused of deadly I-380 crash booked in Linn County Jail

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — UPDATE 3.24.21 4:36 p.m.: About two hours after police put out a warrant for his arrest, Tyler Lee is now in the Linn County Jail.

He is booked on these charges: homicide by vehicle-operating while intoxicated, homicide by vehicle-reckless driving, and two counts of serious injury by motor vehicle

Iowa’s News Now is working to learn more about his arrest.

PREVIOUS STORY: A Rockton, Illinois man is now charged in a deadly crash on Interstate 380 earlier this month that killed one person and injured two others.

Now the Cedar Rapids Police Department says one of the drivers in the crash, Tyler Lee, 34, is now facing several charges.

He was taken to the hospital and authorities are asking the public for any information on his whereabouts.

If you do know where he is, you are asked to call law enforcement.

Warrants have been issued for Lee for homicide by vehicle-operating while intoxicated, homicide by vehicle-reckless driving, and two counts of serious injury by motor vehicle.

The deadly crash happened on March 7 in the northbound lanes of Interstate 380 near the 7th Street NE Exit.

Police say Lee was driving the wrong way in a truck and hit a Chevrolet Suburban K1500 with four people inside. One of the passengers in the Suburban, David Nguyen of Cedar Rapids, was killed while the driver and another passenger suffered injuries.

Lee was injured too and taken to the hospital but then released the same day. Authorities say he was not cooperative with officers that morning.

CRPD spokesperson Greg Buelow says police need to wait for additional evidence, like toxicology reports, to present charges to county attorney’s office.

Buelow says with serious injury and death involved in this case, police have to follow procedures to not jeopardize the case.

“There are cases throughout the country in which expedient charges filed result in a defendant pleading guilty immediately, and then when additional evidence is available, the more serious charges are not allowed due to double jeopardy,” Buelow said.

The warrants been entered into a nationwide database and says police are now working with the U.S. Marshal Services and others to find him.

Lee is also facing a murder charge in a separated case from 2017 in Illinois.