An Earlham man was arrested late Tuesday for alleged drunk driving after crashing his pickup truck, which contained a loaded shotgun.
Jacob Carl Tessmer, 36, of 19228 365th St., Earlham, was charged with second-offense OWI and possession or carrying of dangerous weapons while intoxicated, and he was issued a citation for failure to maintain control.
The incident began about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, when an Iowa State Patrol Trooper and a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff responded to a report of a single-vehicle collision near the intersection of I Avenue and 365th Street north of Earlham.
After Tessmer was treated at the scene for minor injuries by the Dallas County EMS, the officers made contact with Tessmer, who allegedly presented with “bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech” and emitting “the strong odor of an alcohol beverage,” according to court records.
Tessmer allegedly “was having trouble with his balance as he was walking,” according to court records, and he was asked whether “he had any alcohol to drink tonight, and he advised no.”
Tessmer “refused all field sobriety testing” and “refused to submit a breath test on the PBT” and “refused to submit a breath sample on the data master,” according to court records.
Inside Tessmer’s Ford pickup truck, the trooper found a Browning 10-gauge shotgun with “three rounds inside the magazine,” according to court records.
Tessmer is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $3,287.88 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance Wednesday in Dallas County District Court.
Tessmer was convicted of first-offense OWI in 2015 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is innocent until and unless proven guilty.
