Polk County Judge Faces Felony Charges After Fatal Urbandale Crash
Polk County District Associate Judge Lynn Poschner faces felony charges of homicide by vehicle and serious injury by vehicle stemming from a September crash in Urbandale. She allegedly struck two pedestrians while distracted by her phone, resulting in one death.…
Des Moines Ames, IA, November 5, 2026 — Polk County District Associate Judge Lynn Poschner has been charged with felony offenses following a traffic incident in September. The charges include homicide by vehicle and serious injury by vehicle.
The charges stem from a crash that occurred in Urbandale. According to reports, Judge Poschner allegedly struck two pedestrians while operating her vehicle. The incident resulted in the death of one pedestrian and serious injury to another.
Authorities have stated that the judge was allegedly distracted by her phone at the time of the collision. The specific date of the September crash was not provided in the available information.
The felony charges were filed on the day subsequent to voters casting ballots to retain Judge Poschner for another term on the bench. The outcome of the retention vote was not immediately available, nor was information regarding the judge’s current status on the bench following the filing of these charges.
Information regarding the legal proceedings that will follow these charges, including arraignment dates or any defense statements, was not detailed in the summary. The contractor’s name, if applicable, was not provided. The fine amounts, if any, associated with these charges were also not specified.
Story summarized from the original created by Tom Barton on www.iowapublicradio.org, see more information here.
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