A Council Bluffs man is in the Dallas County Jail Monday night in connection with the Feb. 2 motor vehicle collision near Perry that claimed the life of Danyel Denise Hardisty, 40, of Minburn and badly injured her 7-year-old son.
Steven Joseph Wink, 53, of 613 Damon St., Council Bluffs, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for probation violation on an original charge of first-offense OWI, and he was charged in Dallas County Monday with driving while license denied or revoked, driving while barred-habitual offender and driving while suspended.
According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, Hardisty and her son were traveling northbound on J Avenue (County Road P58) about 9:45 p.m. Feb. 2 when a vehicle, driven by Wink and traveling southbound on J Avenue, “crossed over into the northbound lane and crashed head-on into” Hardisty’s vehicle.
“Impairment” was “suspected at the time of the crash,” according to the ISP report.
Wink is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $2,300 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for an initial appearance Feb. 9 in Dallas County District Court.
Wink was convicted of OWI-eluding in 1997 in Pottawattamie County District Court. He was convicted of driving while suspended twice in 1997 in Pottawattamie County District Court. He was convicted of driving while barred-habitual offender three times in 1999, once in 2003, twice in 2004, once in 2005, 2006 and 2007 in Pottawattamie County District Court. He was convicted of public intoxication in 2010 in Pottawattamie County District Court. He was convicted of first-offense OWI in 2019 in Pottawattamie County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Where’s the vehicular homicide charge. This is very upsetting. Let’s not forget about the 7 year old fighting for his life. This guy is a scum bag who has slipped through the cracks before, let’s not have that happen again.
I’m not being vindictive here. I recognize and accept this man’s humanity. I don’t say this out of anger, but he’s had his chances. He’s probably been in rehab multiple times. He’s demonstrated clearly just how dangerous he is and how no trust can be given him. Every day he’s in prison is a day he’s not driving.