Hunter
10/13/25
A Cedar Rapids man facing an OWI charge in Washington County from an incident earlier this year has been charged again, this time in Johnson County.
40-year-old Michael Pepper of Brentwood Drive NE was allegedly involved in a motor vehicle accident on the 1300 block of Muscatine Avenue Saturday night where he reportedly rear-ended another vehicle that was stopped for a red light in a work zone. Pepper allegedly stated that the light had changed and he didn’t have time to stop, but the other driver said he was completely stopped when Pepper rear-ended him.
Pepper reportedly had bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, unsteady balance and smelled of ingested alcohol. He allegedly admitted to consuming alcohol, and a Datamaster test showed his breath-alcohol level at .237 percent, nearly 3 times over the legal limit to drive.
A check of Pepper’s driving record showed a pending OWI case in Washington County from August, which also involved a vehicle crash.
Pepper was charged with OWI first offense and cited for failure to stop in a clear distance; he could be jailed for up to a year if convicted.