Cherokee man pleads not guilty to fatal hit-and-run

CHEROKEE, Iowa (KTIV) - A northwest Iowa man authorities say was involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Cherokee, Iowa has entered his plea.

Online court documents show 29-year-old Casey Herwig of Cherokee, Iowa pleaded not guilty to one count of knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The charge comes from an incident that happened in Cherokee back on Dec. 26, 2022, that resulted in the death of a bicyclist.

Authorities say at about 8:30 p.m. they received a call about a bicyclist laying in the roadway at the intersection of N 6th Street and West Willow.

An investigation determined Herwig was the one who hit the bicyclist while driving a pickup. When authorities found Herwig’s pickup, they allegedly found damage on the front of the vehicle that matched parts found at the scene of the accident.

According to court documents, Herwig told officers that he knew he hit something, but he wasn’t sure what it was. When asked by officers if it was possible he hit a person, Herwig reportedly said that it “could’ve been.”

Documents identify the bicyclist as Phillip Watterson, a resident of Cherokee.

Herwig’s next court appearance has not been scheduled as of Wednesday, May 24.

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