TRUCK DRIVER ADMITS STREAMING NETFLIX BEFORE CRASH THAT KILLED IOWA COUPLE

Billy Joe Grimes, 57, has pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide after investigators found he was streaming a Netflix series while approaching slowed traffic in a Minnesota construction zone. Matthew and Cimberly Hansen, a married couple from Iowa, lost their lives in the 2023 collision.

A truck driver has admitted responsibility for a devastating highway crash that claimed the lives of an Iowa couple after investigators uncovered evidence that he was streaming Netflix behind the wheel.

Billy Joe Grimes, 57, pleaded guilty on October 26, 2026, to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm.

The charges stem from a collision on August 25, 2023, on Interstate 35 near Faribault, Minnesota, that killed Matthew Henry Hansen, 57, and his wife, Cimberly Ellen Hansen, 56.

The couple were travelling north from their home in Urbandale, Iowa, to visit family when their journey ended in tragedy. Grimes is due to be sentenced on March 16, 2027. No sentence has yet been imposed.

A CONSTRUCTION ZONE COLLISION

The crash happened at approximately 1:30 p.m. as traffic slowed for roadworks that narrowed the highway to one lane in each direction.

Matthew and Cimberly were travelling in a red Toyota Camry. Ahead of the truck, a Chevrolet pickup towing a flatbed trailer was also moving through the construction area.

Grimes was driving a 2021 Volvo semitruck behind them.

The semitruck struck the rear of the Hansens’ Toyota with such force that their vehicle was crushed and pushed into a ditch. The truck continued forward, hitting the pickup and trailer before the vehicles crossed a barbed-wire fence towards nearby railway tracks.

Witnesses rushed to help those involved. Cimberly had already passed away by the time they reached the couple’s car. Matthew initially showed signs of life, but witnesses said his faint pulse disappeared within minutes.

The pickup driver survived with injuries that included a bump to the head and shoulder pain.

INVESTIGATORS UNCOVERED NETFLIX STREAMING

During the investigation, Grimes told state troopers that he had looked down shortly before the collision. He said that when he looked back up, the Toyota was directly in front of him and he could not stop because of the weight of his load.

He denied using his phone.

However, investigators later uncovered video evidence showing that Grimes had been streaming the Netflix series Rust Valley Restorers as he approached the construction zone.

Authorities also determined that he had passed five construction-warning signs over approximately five miles. Two of those signs featured flashing lights.

A crash reconstruction found that the semitruck’s cruise control had been set at approximately 67 to 68 miles per hour. Investigators found no evidence that Grimes applied the brakes before striking the vehicles.

He had worked as a commercial truck driver for approximately five years at the time of the crash.

FROM NOT GUILTY PLEA TO ADMISSION

Grimes was initially charged in April 2024 and pleaded not guilty.

More than two years later, he changed his plea in October 2026, admitting guilt to the charges connected to the deaths of Matthew and Cimberly and the injuries suffered by the pickup driver.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 16, 2027. Until then, the court has not imposed a final sentence.

A MARRIAGE BUILT AROUND FAMILY AND FAITH

Matthew and Cimberly Hansen had built a life together over several decades.

They met while attending Iowa State University and eventually raised four children in the Des Moines area.

As their family grew, they enjoyed travelling, camping and spending time with their children and grandchildren.

Their loved ones remembered them for their commitment to faith, family and the outdoors — a shared life that was cut short during what should have been an ordinary journey to visit relatives.

For their family, the guilty plea marks a major development in a case that has taken years to reach this point. But no court decision can restore the two people whose lives were lost.

Matthew and Cimberly were more than the names in a court case. They were partners, parents and grandparents whose absence will be felt by the family they built together. May they rest in peace. 🤍🕊️