Iowa City Police: woman drove drunk, hit retaining wall with children in car

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City woman is accused of smashing into a stone retaining wall while driving at more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit.

According to Iowa City police criminal complaints, an officer was called to the 500 block of Kimball Road around 9:06 a.m. Sunday for a report of a vehicle crashing into a retaining wall. Police said the vehicle sustained 'heavy” front end damage from hitting the stone wall.

The driver, 25-year-old Waldina L. Almendarez, said she was distracted by her children prior to the crash, police said. Almendarez showed signs of intoxication and admitted to drinking beer earlier in the night, police said. A breath test showed her blood alcohol content to be .172 percent, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

Police said Almendarez's two children - ages six years and two months - were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Almendarez was arrested and faces charges of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor; and drunken driving, a serious misdemeanor.

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