Barred driver and drugs tied to Mt. Pleasant crash that killed Mississippi motorcyclist

MT. PLEASANT — A Mississippi motorcyclist died Saturday, Sept. 6 from injuries suffered due to a collision with a car at the Mt. Pleasant highway interchange two days earlier.

“A couple riding motorcycles were stopped at the base of the exit ramp from Highway 218 to Highway 34,” Iowa State Patrol Trooper Jacob Murphy detailed in a document filed with Iowa Courts. “For unknown reasons, the motorcycles attempted to cross the through Highway portion of Highway 34 crossing in front of the path of an eastbound Oldsmobile Alero.”

According to Murphy’s report on a search warrant filed with Iowa Courts, at approximately 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero struck Lewis “Jackie” Bilotta Jr., 67, of Bellefountaine, Mississippi, as he entered the highway. Emergency crews flew Bilotta to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where he died two days later.

At the scene, both Tanner J. Waterhouse, 30, of Brighton, and passenger Allyson Cottrell claimed Cottrell had been driving. Later, Cottrell admitted she said that because she “didn’t want him to get in trouble,” Iowa State Patrol reports state.

Troopers further stated that witnesses claim to have heard Waterhouse say he hit the motorcycle.

“I then decided to take a look at the vehicle’s driver seat position. The driver seat was laid back indicating a taller subject had to have been operating the car. Mr. Waterhouse is 6’3” according to his Iowa identification card, while Ms. Cottrell is only 5’3,” Murphy’s report stated.

Reports claim he drove without a valid license. Court records show Iowa barred him from driving as a habitual offender.

Investigators said skid marks on the pavement showed the driver braked before the crash. They found scrape marks in the intersection and blood on the road where Bilotta fell after impact.

Troopers also said they smelled marijuana inside the car. During a search, they and Henry County deputies found containers of marijuana and methamphetamine. Deputies seized the drugs as evidence.

Investigators plan to analyze the car’s air bag control module, which records speed, braking, seat belt use, and other data in the seconds before and during a crash. They also plan to examine the car’s interior for physical evidence that could further show who sat behind the wheel.

Iowa law classifies driving while barred as an aggravated misdemeanor that can result in up to two years in prison and heavy fines. The state bars drivers labeled habitual offenders for two to six years if they rack up repeated serious violations, such as operating while intoxicated or reckless driving.

Bilotta’s death marks another serious crash at the busy Highway 34/218 interchange. The Iowa Department of Transportation has identified the junction as a high-crash location in past safety reports.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists remain at higher risk than drivers of passenger cars; in 2023, motorcyclists accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities in the United States, despite representing just 3% of registered vehicles.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com