Hunter
08/02/20
Two Waterloo residents were arrested for OWI from the same vehicle after authorities say they both took turns driving under the influence early Saturday.
Police got calls on a reckless driver on southbound I380 at about the six mile marker just before 1am, saying that the vehicle was all over the roadway. One of the calls came from an off-duty officer, who said that the vehicle was crossing lines and hitting curbs, and traveling at 30 miles under the speed limit. The vehicle reportedly pulled off, parked at the Kum & Go in North Liberty for a short time, then continued down 380. A state trooper stopped the vehicle at the four mile southbound marker.
At the wheel was 48-year-old Kimberly Epps of Byron Avenue in Waterloo. She allegedly had bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of ingested alcohol coming from her breath. She reportedly told the trooper that prior to the stop at Kum & Go, her passenger, 33-year-old Ceal Biddle of Sherwood Court had been driving. Two bottles of vodka were found under the passenger seat, and Epps allegedly admitted to drinking beer and vodka. She performed poorly on field testing and a Datamaster test showed her blood alcohol level at .191 percent. A check of her driving record showed two convictions for OWI, in Blackhawk County in 2016, and Linn County in 2017. She also has a driving status as barred as an habitual offender.
Biddle was listed as the owner of the 1993 Buick Park Avenue involved in the incident. He performed poorly on field testing and reportedly would not cooperate with all tests. A PBT showed his blood alcohol level at a .168.
A check of Biddle’s records showed his license as revoked, and two previous OWI charges for him as well, both in Blackhawk County. He was convicted in May of this year and May of 2019.
Epps was charged with her third OWI and driving while barred as an habitual offender, and could be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted on both counts. Biddle was charged with OWI third offense and driving while revoked, and could get as much as six years in prison if convicted on both counts.