Crime & Safety

Iowa City Woman Accused of Killing Friend with Truck Pleads Not Guilty to Vehicular Homicide

The trial date for vehicular homicide has yet to be set.



A woman who after an argument in June has pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony vehicular homicide.

Miranda Lalla, 50, of Iowa City, was initially charged with second-offense drunken driving, but after an investigation the Johnson County Attorney's Office filed an amended charge of felony vehicular homicide with operating vehicle while intoxicated, a Class B felony.

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Lalla submitted a plea of not guilty to this charge on July 3 to the Johnson County Courthouse, according to online court records. No trial date has been set yet for Lalla.

Police say she ran over Pamela Gross, 44, of Iowa City, following a physical dispute last Sunday.

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Investigators are trying to establish the circumstances of Gross' death, who was dropped off at home by Lalla in a parking lot area near Gross' residence at 315 E. First St. at about 7:18 p.m. on the night of June 17, according to an  criminal complaint.

Lalla told investigators that she and Gross had gotten into a physical altercation after Lalla had dropped Gross off after the pair had beers at the nearby Jobsite bar, according to the criminal complaint.

After the fight, as Lalla decided to leave with the truck door open, she allegedly backed into Gross who was standing right next to the vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, Gross was knocked over by the open door and pulled under the truck.

Gross later died of her injuries.

After the accident, police say Lalla showed measurable impairment when performing field sobriety tests. She later refused chemical testing, but officers obtained a search warrant for a blood test. Toxicology results are pending.

Lalla blew a .093 on a blood-alcohol breathalyzer test, according to the criminal complaint.


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