Ankeny Police Plan No Additional Charges in Crossing Guard Death; Phone Records Sought

Ankeny police investigators said Friday they cannot determine if glare from the sun blinded a driver who hit and killed a school crossing guard with his pickup.

The Ankeny Police Department issued a news release this afternoon that says no new charges have been filed against Laurin Cole in the death of Franklyn Luttrell. Cole was charged Sept. 15 with running a red light after his pickup truck struck Luttrell, 78, at the intersection of West First and School streets near Parkview Middle School.

The department has concluded its investigation into Luttrell's death, the release said, although investigators have subpoenaed Cole's cell phone records to see if he was on his phone at the time of the accident.

The Luttrell family was contacted Friday evening by Ankeny Patch, but declined to comment.

Investigators used data from the air bags in Cole's truck to determine that his pickup was travelling at 33 mph five seconds before the accident and at 32 mph at one second before impact. West First Street has a speed limit of 35 mph, the release said.

Cole told officers he did not see the traffic signal, but believed it was green and continued into the intersection. He then saw the stop sign held by Luttrell and simultaneously heard a loud noise, a sound that occurred when Cole’s vehicle struck Luttrell, the release said.

Witnesses saw Luttrell step into the street with the green traffic light and walk signal. Luttrell realized Cole's vehicle was not slowing and began waving the stop sign as he retreated toward the sidewalk, the police release said.

Investigators believe Luttrell was struck by the corner of the bumper, which broke his left leg, and he fell to the ground from the initial impact. The passenger side view mirror also struck Luttrell in the left side of his head.

. Authorities said Luttrell saved the lives of children waiting to use the crosswalk the day he was killed.