Iowa County traffic stop yields OWI arrest

On Sunday evening (April 12) the Iowa County Communications Center received numerous complaints regarding a white work van traveling eastbound on US Highway 18-151 near mile marker 50. Reports indicated driving behavior consistent with a possibly intoxicated driver. The vehicle was reported to be traveling at speeds varying between 30 and 65 miles per hour, and all over the road. Numerous callers indicated that traffic was backing up, as drivers seemed apprehensive about attempting to pass the suspect vehicle.

Deputies with the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle just West of the Village of Barneveld and initiated a traffic stop. While engaged with the suspect vehicle deputies noticed a male subject running down the eastbound shoulder of the highway towards the stop. Deputies made contact with the subject who turned out to be the suspect’s brother, himself intoxicated, who claimed to have run all the way from the City of Dodgeville. Deputies were able to determine that this second subject had exited the passenger seat of a separate vehicle traveling the same direction and ran some distance down the highway to assist.

This second subject was subsequently left behind by the driver of the vehicle he had exited and was transported to the Iowa County Law Enforcement Center to wait for a sober ride.

Meanwhile, the suspect was also transported to the Iowa County Law Enforcement Center to undergo field sobriety tests, and then to a local hospital for blood draw. As a result of the traffic stop, Antonio Castro Lopez, 29, of Fitchburg was arrested for OWI 1st offense with additional citations for Possession of Open Intoxicants, Operating Without a License and Deviating from Designated Lane. Lopez was booked into the Iowa County Jail and then released to a responsible party.