Hunter
11/29/21
An Iowa City man reportedly had a hard time explaining how his vehicle hit a pole when arrested for his second OWI early Monday.
According to police, they were dispatched to the intersection of Broadway Street and Crosspark Avenue on reports of a single-vehicle accident. Upon arrival, they discovered that a 2020 Chevy Equinox allegedly driven by 45-year-old Prince Abdala Manara of Keokuk Street had struck a pole.
Manara was reportedly standing beside the vehicle with the keys in his pocket, and he allegedly admitted to driving the vehicle. Police say he was vague and incomprehensible when attempting to explain how the crash occurred, saying that he was on his way to work when he hit the pole. Reportedly, Manara’s workplace is northeast of the crash site, and he was traveling in the opposite direction when the crash occurred.
The man allegedly had the odor of ingested alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. After observing multiple clues of impairment on field testing, Manara took a PBT showing his blood-alcohol level at .228 percent. A Datamaster test reportedly showed his level at .225 percent.
A check of Manara’s records showed a previous OWI in Johnson County from 2019. He was charged with his second offense, an Aggravated Misdemeanor punishable by a jail sentence of up to two years if convicted.