Hunter
07/21/21
An Iowa City man was arrested late Monday night on OWI and drug charges after nearly hitting another motorist head on in the city.
Police say 18-year-old Lance Smith of Shire Lane was called in by an off-duty police officer after his Chevy Colorado almost struck a vehicle head-on in traffic. The officer followed Smith to a parking lot near the intersection of Riverside Drive and Benton Street.
An on-duty officer arrived and found Smith in the driver’s seat with the engine running. He also reportedly was in the process of drinking a White Claw. Smith is alleged to have had bloodshot watery eyes, impaired speech, unsteady balance, and had the odor of ingested alcohol. He reportedly showed measurable impairment on field tests, provided a PBT of .119 percent and a subsequent Datamaster test of .114 percent.
A check of Smith’s driving records showed a deferred judgement of an OWI entered in May of this year, with his driving privileges revoked until August 30th. A subsequent check of his vehicle allegedly turned up a glass pipe with marijuana residue.
Smith has been charged with OWI second offense, Driving while Revoked, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. If convicted on all counts, he could be sentenced to up to 37 months in jail.