Cherokee, Iowa – A man accused of being involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Cherokee has pleaded guilty.
According to court documents, 30-year-old Casey Herwig has pleaded guilty to one count of Knowingly Leaving The Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death, which is a class D felony. Herwig faces a maximum of ten years in prison, along with a fine between one thousand and ten thousand dollars.
The alleged hit-and-run happened on December 26th of 2022. Authorities received a call that evening regarding a bicyclist, identified as Phillip Watterson of Cherokee, lying in the intersection of the roadway between North 6th Street and Willow Street in Cherokee. Herwig allegedly struck the bicyclist while he was driving a pickup. Damage was discovered on the front of the vehicle that matched parts found at the scene of the hit-and-run. Herwig allegedly told authorities that he knew he hit something, but wasn’t sure what it was. He reportedly acknowledged that he “could have” hit a person.
Herwig is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26th.
(Story courtesy of Community First Broadcasting station KAYL in Storm Lake)