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Two killed in wrong-way crash on I-74 in Knox County; driver charged

A wrong-way crash on Interstate 74 early Sunday killed two people, and the driver faces charges of reckless homicide and DUI.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 31, 2026, 8:53 p.m. ET
A wrong-way crash on in early Sunday morning killed people, according to reports from kwqc.com and tspr.org. The crash occurred at approximately :10 a.m. on Aug. 30. Brian J. Boyer was driving a Chevrolet Malibu eastbound in the westbound lanes when the vehicle struck a motorcycle, according to tspr.org. Boyer was taken to a local hospital with injuries. The victims were identified as Curtis Vannier, 28, of Moline, and Kelsey Barksdale, 27, of Davenport, according to kwqc.com. The number of fatalities is reported as by kwqc.com, but sources differ on who confirmed the deaths: kwqc.com reports the confirmed the fatalities, while tspr.org reports they were pronounced dead . Boyer's legal status is reported differently: kwqc.com reports he was , while tspr.org reports he was with counts of felony reckless homicide and counts of felony driving under the influence. Judge Andrew Doyle denied pretrial release for Boyer in this case and revoked it in a previous misdemeanor case for possession of alcohol. Boyer also pleaded guilty to DUI in a separate case in Warren County in May, according to tspr.org. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

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Revision history

  1. Version 31 Sept 2026, 00:53current

    Added victim names and clarified charges; noted conflicting reports on arrest vs. charge and fatality confirmation.

  2. Version 231 Aug 2026, 19:52

    Updated to reflect conflicting reports on fatality confirmation and driver's legal status; added second fatality and arrest/charge conflict.

  3. Version 131 Aug 2026, 19:29

    First published.

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