Hunter
10/08/21
An Iowa City man was charged after a Thursday incident when his alleged dangerous driving ended with him wrecking his vehicle.
Police were called to the intersection of Governor and Iowa streets just before 2pm on reports of a man walking away from a single-vehicle accident. The vehicle, a Dodge Nitro, had reportedly been called in by at least eleven 9-1-1 callers in the minutes leading up to the accident.
All callers claimed that the driver, later identified as 39-year-old Cristobal Urquiza Duran of Paddock Circle, was traveling at extremely high rates of speed, nearly causing several accidents and striking at least one vehicle.
Intersection cameras were reviewed by Iowa City Police, reportedly blowing through red lights, driving into oncoming traffic, and narrowly missing other vehicles, all while traveling at extremely high rates of speed.
Several witnesses pointed Urquiza Duran out, walking about a half block from his wrecked vehicle. He allegedly stated that he had smoked marijuana approximately 30 minutes before crashing. Field testing reportedly showed impairment, though breath tests showed a zero blood-alcohol content. A Drug Recognition Expert was called in, who determined that Urquiza Duran was under the influence of Cannibis and a stimulant and unable to operate a vehicle safely.
A urine sample was taken; toxicology results are pending.
Urquiza Duran has been initially charged with OWI first offense, a serious misdemeanor.