Hunter
08/19/23
An Iowa City woman faces numerous charges after allegedly driving drunk with two children in her vehicle.
The incident reportedly occurred just before 5:30 pm Tuesday on the 4800 block of East Court Street. The reporting party told authorities that 40-year-old Heather Zaehringer was intoxicated and fled the residence with two children in tow.
When officers arrived, Zaehringer had already returned to the residence. She allegedly admitted to driving to a nearby park after drinking, and showed signs of intoxication with bloodshot watery eyes, impaired speech, unsteady balance and the odor of ingested alcohol.
Zaehringer’s two minor children were with her in the vehicle while she was intoxicated, putting them at substantial risk.
A search warrant was obtained for a Datamaster test, and Zaehringer’s BAC was measured at .099 percent.
A check of records showed two previous OWI’s from 2013 and 2017; her driving privileges were also revoked through December 25th of this year.
Zaehringer was charged with OWI third offense, two counts of child endangerment, and driving while revoked. If convicted on all counts, she could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison.