Fairfield man charged with second-degree murder

A Fairfield man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend from an automobile collision in 2020.

Derrick Cook Maynard, 36, was charged with intentionally killing Megan Marie Reid on May 18, 2020, in an automobile collision in Columbus Junction.

According to the crash report from the Iowa State Patrol, Maynard and Reid were traveling in separate vehicles, with Maynard following Reid’s vehicle. Maynard, driving a Ford F-650 U-Haul rental truck, struck Reid’s vehicle, a Chevrolet Cobalt, while Reid was making a U-turn on Third Street in Columbus Junction.

Reid, 29, was transported by Louisa County EMS to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, and died from her injuries. A passenger in Reid’s vehicle, Steven Scotton, 57, also was transported by ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for injuries sustained during the collision.

The state Attorney General’s Office has taken over the case from the Louisa County Attorney’s Office. According to documents published on Iowa Courts Online, the prosecution has evidence from Maynard’s vehicle indicating its gas pedal was fully depressed and that the brakes were not applied at the time of the crash. Police gathered information indicating Maynard and Reid were having an argument.

Maynard’s bond was set at $250,000 cash only. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Monday, Aug. 16.