Lang
10/21/25
A North Liberty man has been sentenced for a hit-and-run incident that left a pedestrian seriously injured.
According to the Johnson County Attorney’s Office, on November 15th of last year a 21-year old man from Urbandale sustained life-threatening injuries after being struck by a Jeep being driven by 25-year-old Ta’Gian Hughes of Savannah Drive while the man was crossing the 800 block of West Penn Street just before 9:45 p.m. Police say Hughes left the scene of the crash, but was found later. The victim sustained head injuries and said in a victim impact statement on Tuesday that he was in a coma for 18 days and the hospital for 49 days, followed by months of rehabilitation.
Hughes admitted to smoking marijuana and drinking before driving, and to using MDMA and alprazolam earlier in the week. A sample of his urine tested positive for THC, MDMA, and alprazolam.
On Tuesday, Hughes was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to Serious Injury by Vehicle, a Class D Felony. Lesser charges of Operating While Under the Influence – 2nd Offense and Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Serious Injury were dismissed per a plea agreement. An unrelated charge from April of 2025 for Driving While License Denied or Revoked was also dismissed per the plea agreement.