July 8, 2026:
A 38 year old man from Indianola, Iowa, has been indicted (July 8, 2026) by a Hughes County Grand Jury on eight charges– including Vehicular Homicide– in connection with a July 4, 2026, single-vehicle accident north of Pierre at Spring Creek.
Preliminary crash information from the South Dakota Highway Patrol indicates Zachary Berger was the driver of a 2008 Polaris Ranger 700 Utility Vehicle that was southbound on Spring Creek Drive. He attempted to turn around and the vehicle rolled. One passenger– a 9-year-old girl from Waterloo, Iowa– died in the accident. A second passenger, a 16 year old boy from Des Moines, Iowa, received minor injuries. Berger wasn’t injured. None of them were wearing a seatbelt.
Berger is charged with:
- One felony count of Vehicular Homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison;
- One felony count of Second Degree Manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison;
- Two felony counts of Abuse or Cruelty to a Minor, and each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison;
- Two alternative misdemeanor counts of Driving Under the Influence which carries a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail;
- Two counts of Failure to Assure a Minor Passenger Wears a Seatbelt. Each count is a petty offense and carries a maximum sentence of a $25 fine; and
- One count of Failure to Wear a Seatbelt which is a petty offense and carries a maximum sentence of a $25 fine.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said the state has also alleged that Berger is an habitual offender. He said if the state proves Berger has prior felony convictions, the maximum sentence for the felony charges increases to the possibility of up to life in prison.
Berger is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. His next court appearance is July 28. The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case. He is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.
The crash was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.
July 6, 2026:
A 9 year old girl from Waterloo, Iowa, died Saturday afternoon (July 4, 2026, at 2:03pm) in a single-vehicle crash north of Pierre at Spring Creek.
Names of the those involved have not been released pending notification of family members.
Preliminary crash information from the South Dakota Highway Patrol indicates a 37 year old male from Indianola, Iowa, was the driver of a 2008 Polaris Ranger 700 Utility Vehicle that was southbound on Spring Creek Drive. He attempted to turn around and rolled the vehicle.
The 9 year old girl, who was a passenger, sustained fatal injuries. The second passenger, a 16 year old male from Des Moines, Iowa, sustained minor injuries. The driver was not injured. None of them were wearing a seatbelt.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
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