116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
More details released in weekend crash that severely injured three near West Branch
5-year-old among those seriously hurt in wrong-way collision on Interstate 80
Aug. 5, 2025 5:05 pm, Updated: Aug. 6, 2025 7:21 am
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
The Iowa State Patrol released more details Tuesday about a wrong-way crash that severely injured three people Sunday night near West Branch.
According to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol, the crash happened just before 8:30 p.m. at mile marker 252 on Interstate 80, west of West Branch.
Brian Butler, 48, of Norwalk, was driving a 2025 Nissan Altima east in the westbound lanes on I-80 when he crashed into four different westbound vehicles, causing himself and two others to sustain serious or life-threatening injuries.
Butler was flown to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, as was Baoyue Guo, 32, of North Liberty, and a 5-year-old whose name is not listed in the crash report.
Three other people — Pengie Sheng, 34, of North Liberty; Larry Staton, 57, of Cedar Rapids; and Rai Stratton, 67, of Cedar Rapids — also were injured in the crash and taken to UIHC, but not by AirCare. Details about the severity of their injuries were not listed in the report.
Sheng and Staton were driving two of the westbound vehicles that were involved in the crash. The report did not state which of the other injured people were in which vehicles.
Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters