Charles City businessman killed in single vehicle accident

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A recent Floyd County supervisor candidate and chair of the county Republican Party was killed in a motor vehicle crash Monday afternoon.

Julius Arthur Bryant, 44, of Charles City, was killed in the accident at about 2:30 p.m. Monday on a rural road northeast of Charles City.

According to a report by the Iowa State Patrol, Bryant was traveling south in the 1800 block of Willow Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle, a 2002 Ford F350 pickup, on the ice and snow-packed road. The vehicle entered the west ditch where it hit a creek bank and rolled onto the driver side.

Bryant was partially ejected from the truck, the State Patrol report said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the report he was not wearing a seatbelt.

The report says the accident remains under investigation. Assisting at the scene were the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, Colwell Fire Department, Charles City Search and Rescue, AMR Ambulance, and the Floyd County medical examiner.

Bryant was a lifelong Charles City resident. He worked for 21 years at Diversified Fastening Systems where he was a supervisor, and about four years ago he revitalized his father’s tiling excavating business, starting 2 Men and a Hoe Excavating.

Last fall Bryant was the Republican candidate for District 1 Floyd County supervisor. He came in second in a three-way race for the position.