CHARLES CITY — A Northern Iowa construction truck driver struck a train at a Charles City railroad crossing and later pleaded guilty to failing to properly stop, just days after another traffic case against him was resolved in Mason City.
The Charles City Police Department investigated the train-versus-vehicle collision at approximately 12:46 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the railroad crossing in the 1100 block of 13th Avenue.
Police said a Canadian Pacific train was traveling southwest along the railroad tracks when it was struck by a white 2004 Kenworth construction truck driven by 65-year-old Vern Mitchell Berk of Marble Rock.
The Kenworth was traveling westbound on 13th Avenue when Berk improperly stopped at and crossed the railroad tracks, according to the police investigation.
No injuries were reported.
The construction truck sustained non-disabling damage to its right-rear area, while the train sustained non-disabling damage to a headlight. Police estimated the total damage at approximately $5,000.
Berk was cited for violating Iowa Code 321.342, failure to properly stop at a railroad crossing.
Iowa court records show Berk later entered a negotiated or voluntary guilty plea to the scheduled violation. The Floyd County case was disposed of on August 22.
Berk was assessed a $260 fine, $55 in court costs and a $39 surcharge, for a total of $354. Court records show the entire amount was paid and nothing remains due. A notice of conviction was sent to the Iowa Department of Transportation on August 23.
The Charles City crash came only days after another traffic case involving Berk was resolved in Cerro Gordo County.
Mason City police had cited Berk on July 14 for spilling loads on a highway. Court records show he pleaded guilty to that scheduled violation on August 3 — three days before the Charles City train collision.
That case also resulted in a $260 fine, $55 in costs and a $39 surcharge, totaling $354. Court records show that amount was also paid in full.
The train collision adds to a series of significant railroad-related crashes around Iowa this summer. In July, two Northern Iowa teenagers were pulled from a burning car after a collision with a freight train near Lakota. Both boys suffered serious injuries and were flown to Rochester for treatment.
In another dramatic railroad crash in June, an Iowa driver jumped from his car as a locomotive struck the vehicle after it had been knocked onto railroad tracks near Newton.
Charles City has also seen several notable traffic crashes this year. In June, a Northern Iowa driver allegedly fled after a Charles City collision that caused approximately $13,000 in damage.