Hunter
02/24/21
A Cedar Rapids woman was charged with her 3rd OWI after allegedly leaving the scene of an accident and trying to check into an Iowa City hotel.
Police say 54-year-old Paula White was eastbound on Highway 1 at 11:45am Tuesday and hit a westbound vehicle when she attempted to turn north onto Riverside Drive. She allegedly left the scene of the accident and a witness followed White to a hotel parking lot nearby.
Police found her in the lobby of the hotel, where she reportedly hoped to get a room rather than continue driving. She allegedly admitted to being in the accident and to drinking. She smelled strongly of ingested alcohol and had poor balance. White performed poorly on field tests and refused a PBT.
Police got a search warrant, and White provided a urine and breath sample, showing a blood-alcohol content of .232 percent.
Her driving record showed previous OWI convictions in 2015 and 2017. White was initially charged with a Class D felony for 3rd OWI and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.
