(Des Moines, IA) – A 60-year-old man died after he was struck by a vehicle while in a wheelchair late Friday night on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, according to the Des Moines Police Department. Police said officers and Des Moines Fire Department crews responded just after 10:30 p.m. to the area of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Welbeck Road on reports of a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle.
First responders found the man suffering from critical injuries. Crews performed lifesaving measures, including CPR, before transporting him to UnityPoint Health – Methodist Medical Center, where he later died. According to the preliminary investigation, a 43-year-old man was driving a 2014 Ford Focus southbound on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway when the vehicle struck the pedestrian, who was in the roadway in a wheelchair.
The Des Moines Police Department’s Traffic Unit is investigating the crash, which marks the city’s 13th traffic-related fatality of 2026. No charges have been filed, and the investigation remains ongoing. Police said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
