Moline man drove 84 mph with baby who wasn’t in safety seat: Iowa State Patrol

A 26-year-old Moline man faces charges after police say he drove 84 mph with a toddler, who was not in a safety seat, court records show.

James Todd III faces a Class C felony charge of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person and a serious misdemeanor charge of operating while under the influence – first offense, according to court records.

Shortly before 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, Iowa State Patrol initiated a traffic stop on a white Volkswagen Passat in the area of Kimberly Road and Elmore Avenue after observing a speeding violation on I-74 westbound near Mile Marker 4, arrest affidavits say.

Affidavits show Todd, who was driving, drove at 84 mph in a 55 mph speed limit area while a 1-year-old child in the back seat was not properly secured in a child-safety seat.

In affidavits, police say Todd “had red, blood shot, watery eyes, slurred speech and an unsteady gait,” and also “had an odor emanating from his person consistent with that of someone who had consumed alcoholic beverages. The odor became stronger as he spoke.”

Todd consented to Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and displayed numerous clues of impairment, according to affidavits.

Todd consented to a preliminary breath test that indicated a breath alcohol content greater than 0.08, the legal limit, according to affidavits: “After being read the appropriate Implied Consent Advisory, (Todd) consented to the withdrawal of a breath sample for chemical testing.”

The sample indicated a breath alcohol content of 0.144, show affidavits,which say Todd “did knowingly and recklessly expose the child to a hazard and/or danger which the child could not reasonably protect herself against by operating while intoxicated.”

Todd, who was released on his own recognizance, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 5 in Scott County Court.

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