Cherokee man pleads guilty in case of fatally hitting bicyclist

CHEROKEE, Iowa (KCAU) — A Cherokee man has pleaded guilty after allegedly leaving the scene after fatally hitting a bicyclist last year.

According to court documents, Casey Herwig, 30, entered a guilty plea Thursday to the charge of leaving the scene of an accident where the defendant had no knowledge of death. He was originally accused of knowing about the death yet leaving the scene, but that charge was downgraded as part of the plea agreement.

On December 26, 2022, officials received a report of a bicyclist lying on the road at 6th and West Willow Street in Cherokee. An investigation found that Herwig had reportedly hit the bicyclist with his vehicle but kept going.

When officers interviewed Herwig, he allegedly said that he knew that he had hit something, but didn’t know what it was. Officers asked if it was possible that he hit someone, and he allegedly said, “Could’ve been.”

Herwig was arrested in May 2023. He originally pleaded not guilty in June 2023.

Sentencing is set for August 26, 2024, at 9 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.