Attorney General Bird Secures Conviction in Keokuk County Hayride Case

DES MOINES—Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced that her office secured a conviction against David Heady on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, for 13 counts of child endangerment.  

Heady, a former Keokuk County Sheriff’s deputy, was a passenger in a truck pulling a hayrack ride filled with 30 children in October 2023. He and the driver, Daniel Brubaker, had both been drinking heavily before the ride and were drinking while driving the truck. Brubaker lost control of the truck and drove it into a ditch, injuring more than a dozen children. The co-defendant, Brubaker, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of child endangerment in July.  

“This situation is truly heartbreaking. Two adults, including a sheriff’s deputy, who should have protected these children instead caused extreme trauma and pain because they recklessly chose to drink and drive. These children and their families will never be the same,” said Attorney General Bird. “I want to thank the Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations for investigating these crimes and Assistant Attorney General Frank Severino and the Statewide Prosecutors of the Criminal Justice Division in the Attorney General’s office for securing the conviction. Let it be a warning that when you selfishly break the law and endanger a child’s life you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”  

Sentencing is scheduled for October 17 in the Keokuk County Courthouse. 

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For More Information:

Jen Green 

jen.green@ag.iowa.gov