Suspected driver in I-235 crash arrested for OWI in Prairie City

PRAIRIE CITY — The general manger of a Pleasant Hill car dealership facing charges related to a crash on I-235 in Des Moines Saturday was arrested the same night in Prairie City on an OWI charge.

Prairie City Police Chief Will Mortenson confirmed Monday afternoon that 57-year-old Steven Luebke of Grimes was arrested for the OWI at the Casey’s General Store off Highway 163 at 11:20 p.m. following — but not related to — the I-235 crash which resulted in his vehicle catching fire.

The criminal complaint states, Luebke was initially pulled over in a 2015 Chevy Tahoe for failure to obey stop sign and yielding to the right of way when the Prairie City officer realized the subject was intoxicated. He was taken to the Jasper County Jail and released Sunday on a $1,000 bond. Online court records show this is Luebke’s fourth OWI offense since 1997.

Luebke was the general manager of Deery Brothers in Pleasant Hill. The company has removed the subject’s name from its website following the incident.

Police arrested Luebke at his home in Grimes later Sunday, following his release from the Jasper County Jail in connection with the I-235 crash. According to online court documents, he is charged in Polk County with driving while license barred, failure to maintain control and reckless driving. Due to parole violations, Luebke is being held in the Polk County Jail without bond.

A Des Moines Police report states that a red 2010 Camaro was reportedly witnessed spinning tires and racing on Southeast 14th Street on Des Moines’ east side Saturday. Later, while driving on I-235, the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit the median divider in the center of the highway. Des Moines police found the car displaying dealer’s plates in flames at 5:43 p.m., facing eastbound in the westbound lane. The driver was witnessed exiting the flaming vehicle, getting into another car and leaving the scene.

Des Moines police said the crash caused a second accident at the scene due to decreased visibility from smoke.

Luebke is scheduled for an initial appearance in Jasper County Court Sept. 24. An arraignment for his Des Moines charges is scheduled for Oct. 15 in the Polk County Jail Court.