(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A man charged in a fatal Pottawattamie County UTV accident has entered a written plea of guilty to a charge of Homicide by Vehicle-Reckless Driving. Court records show 85-year-old Gene Fritz, of Oakland, will be sentenced August 14th in connection with the Dec. 26, 2024 death in Oakland, of 83-year-old Sandra Madron.

Fritz was heading home and as he often did, drove his UTV on the sidewalk, due to vision issues. Fritz did not have a valid driver’s license, and the UTV he was riding was not registered for roadway use.

He had previously stated he didn’t see Sandra Madron, and that she “must have been wearing dark clothing.” First responders found Madron laying on her side after she was struck. She later died at a hospital in Council Bluffs.