DOT: Lucky No One Working when Man Drove Drunk Into Northeast Iowa Construction Zone

It was three weeks ago Tuesday (05.06), a Northeast Iowa man was arrested after allegedly driving drunk into a construction zone.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says the wreck occurred about 12:30 am April 15th along Highway 3, about six miles north of Fairbank. 24-year-old Dillon Dugan of Oelwein is accused of crashing his Cadillac through a construction barrier, continuing into the construction zone and not stopping until the vehicle collided with heavy machinery. 

According to the criminal report, Dugan was charged with OWI after his blood alcohol content (BAC) measured .111%, almost one-and-a-half times the legal limit of .08% BAC. Investigators say he admitted to consuming approximately eight alcoholic beverages before the wreck. 

Pete Hjelmstad with the Mason City District office of the Iowa DOT says it was fortunate no one was working at the time of the alleged incident.

Hjelmstad says there have been close calls, citing an instance in which a motorist didn’t follow the lead vehicle through the work zone.

Hjelmstad adds that some road projects also call for more law enforcement presence.

Above all, Hjelmstad encourages motorists to be alert when driving through road construction zones and to limit distractions, especially cell phones.

Iowa’s new hands-free law goes into effect July 1st.