Our Team
In Iowa, the story of a crash is never just about a moment on the road. It is also about the communities affected, the rules that shape responsibility, and the public records that reveal what really happened. We focus on car accidents, road safety, and crash-related legal issues with an eye toward the details that matter to people here: how local roads are used, how cases move through Iowa courts, and how public agencies respond when serious collisions occur.
Our team came to this work after years spent reporting on local government and the courts. As former journalists, we learned how to read filings closely, ask better questions, and follow complicated issues without losing sight of the people involved. That background still shapes everything we do. Writers including Gary Johannsen, Denise Koenen, Wayne Recker, and Maria Perez bring careful reporting and a strong sense of civic responsibility to each piece we publish.
What sets our coverage apart is our editorial approach. We do not settle for surface-level summaries or recycled talking points. We look for clarity, context, and accountability. Whether we are examining crash trends, explaining how a legal claim unfolds, or reporting on road safety concerns, we aim to make difficult subjects understandable without flattening their complexity. We believe readers deserve reporting that is grounded, useful, and written with care.
Gary Johannsen
Iowa-based contributing journalist covering road safety and accident prevention
Denise Koenen
Iowa-based independent contributor covering injury recovery and legal resources
Wayne Recker
Contributing reporter focused on commercial vehicle accidents across Iowa
Maria Perez
Reporter with a focus on construction site safety
Tom Frazier
A freelance reporter reporting on traffic enforcement and DUI awareness
Keith Haroldson
Staff writer with a focus on traffic enforcement and DUI awareness
Pete Callahan
Longtime contributing journalist on pedestrian and cyclist safety and related issues
Hieu Nguyen
Covers road safety and accident prevention for readers across Iowa