Police: Drunken man drove lawn mower on street
Police arrested a man who they say was drunk and riding a lawn mower in the middle of a busy Des Moines street Wednesday afternoon.
Billy Eugene Williams, 46, has been charged with operating while intoxicated and failure to have a valid license or permit while operating a motor vehicle.
Des Moines police said they found Williams driving a Cub Cadet lawn mower in the middle of East University Avenue at about 4:40 p.m. Wednesday.
Police stopped Williams at the intersection of East 40th Street and University.
An officer asked Williams if he had been drinking Wednesday. Williams said he had drank at least a 12 pack, and he told police he was driving his lawn mower to a gas station to buy more beer.
Police noticed Williams had bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred, mumbling speech.
Williams could hardly walk, police said, so the officer determined Williams could not do a walk-and-turn test or the one-leg-stand test. Police asked him to follow an officer's moving finger with his eyes, but said Williams did not pass that test.
Police placed Williams in the squad car, and he took a preliminary breath test, which measured a blood alcohol level of 0.165, police said. The legal limit for drivers in Iowa is 0.08.
Police then told Williams he was under arrest for operating while intoxicated. He was taken to the Polk County Jail, where he is being held on a $1,465 bond.