Hunter
12/20/22
A Van Horne Iowa man was arrested on drunken driving charges after reportedly being seen driving recklessly on Sunday.
Several witnesses contacted 911 before noon and reported a motorist driving erratically while traveling southbound on I380. The driver, identified as 57-year-old Dean Wiebel, allegedly struck the median and continued driving all over the roadway, unable to maintain his lane.
One of the witnesses was an off-duty officer who followed Wiebel until an on-duty officer located him on Mormon Trek Boulevard, approaching the Coralville/Iowa City limits. The officer observed Wiebel striking the curb several times, and initiated a traffic stop.
Wiebel allegedly smelled strongly of ingested alcohol, but denied drinking and refused field testing. When he exited his BMW, he was unable to maintain his balance and nearly fell down.
Wiebel was arrested and reportedly then admitted to drinking vodka for about three hours. A Datamaster test showed his blood-alcohol level at .232, nearly three times the legal limit.
Wiebel was charged with OWI 1st offense, a serious misdemeanor.