Charles City man charged in traffic crash death of young boy

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man has been charged in the vehicular death of a Sioux City boy and the injury of three others in an October 2019 crash near Rudd, while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.

Jesse Duane Blade, age 30, was charged with homicide by vehicle-OWI, a Class B felony, and homicide by vehicle-reckless driving, a Class C felony, for the Oct. 26 crash that killed Royce G. Fisher, then age 9.

He was charged with three counts of serious injury by vehicle, all Class D felonies, for the injuries of Sarah June Fisher, then age 50; Ronald Paul Fisher, then age 57; and Aidyn D. Kline, then age 11; all of Mason City.

He was also charged with OWI, second offense, an aggravated misdemeanor.

According to the accident report by the Iowa State Patrol, Blade, then age 29, was driving a 2015 Ford Taurus northbound on Glass Avenue north of Rudd toward the intersection with Rudd Park Road/Business 18, at about 6:30 on a Saturday morning.

Blade failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection and struck broadside a 2003 Ford Windstar that was headed east on Rudd Park Road, driven by Ronald Fisher.

According to criminal complaints filed in Floyd County District Court, Blade “showed signs of intoxication and a blood sample was retrieved via a search warrant.”

“The DCI lab toxicology tests showed the defendant’s blood alcohol level was 0.137% along with testing positive for cocaine,” the complaint said. The legal blood alcohol limit for intoxication is 0.08% in Iowa.

Blade was allegedly driving 53 mph in a 25 mph speed zone when he allegedly went through the stop sign.

Sarah and Ronald Fisher are Royce Fisher’s paternal grandparents, and Kline was Royce’s friend, according to Fisher’s obituary. All three sustained broken bones and other injuries in the crash, according to court documents.

Fisher’s parents are Joel Fisher of Mason City and Ashley Ruhland of Sioux City.

Blade faces a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the homicide by vehicle-OWI charge, and up to 10 years in prison if convicted of homicide by vehicle-reckless driving.

Court records say Blade was previously convicted of OWI in 2013 in Floyd County.

He was arrested last Thursday at his home in Charles City. He is being held in the Floyd County Jail under $52,000 cash bond. His attorney is Matthew Pittenger of Mason City.

Additionally, Ashley Ruhland, as administrator of Royce Fisher’s estate, has filed a civil suit in Floyd County District Court on behalf of her and Joel Fisher, against Blade, seeking damages for “the loss of the society and companionship of their son, Royce.”