Rock Rapids, Iowa– A Fairmont, Minnesota man was taken to the hospital after an accident near Rock Rapids early on Friday, April 24, 2026.
The Iowa State Patrol reports that at about 5:50 a.m., 25-year-old Juan Rubio of Fairmont, Minnesota, was driving a 1994 GMC pickup southbound on K52, near the south city limit of Rock Rapids.
The report says that Rubio told a deputy that he was using his phone and lost control on the curve. The vehicle entered the ditch and rolled.
The Lyon County Ambulance took Rubio to Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital.
The trooper also noted that the vehicle’s plates were from the previous owner, and Rubio said that he had purchased the truck last year.
Rubio’s GMC pickup was totaled in the crash, with $3000 in damages.
He was charged with use of an electronic communication device, fraudulent use of registration, no driver’s license, and failure to maintain control.
KIWA Staff Photo
