Truck Driver’s Body Pulled From Wapsipinicon River

The search for a driver whose delivery truck went off a Buchanan County highway bridge and plunged into the Wapsipinicon River has ended. Rescuers pulled the body from the water on Sunday (July 23, 2017).

Around 8:15 a.m., sheriff's officials learned that a body had been seen floating in the fast-moving Wapsipinicon near the river access in Quasqueton. Emergency crews, who arrived at the scene, eventually located the body downstream from the community.

Quasqueton firefighters used a boat to recover the body, then transported the remains to the Buchanan County Health Center. The Iowa State Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny planned to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

On Sunday, the Iowa State Patrol confirmed the recovered body was that of Michael Wallace, 58, of Hazelcrest, Ill., the man troopers earlier identified as the missing driver. Kayakers on the Wapsipinicon River discovered Wallace's mostly-submerged vehicle around noon Friday.

Authorities said the westbound cargo truck left U.S. Highway 20 near Independence, entered the median and collided with a guardrail, before vaulting off the bridge embankment and plunging into the river. The delivery truck was registered to Taylor Made Express.

The accident remains under investigation. Authorities still aren't sure when the crash occurred.