"It doesn't make any sense:" Appleton man locked up following 12th OWI arrest

“It doesn’t make any sense:” Appleton man locked up following 12th OWI arrest

"It doesn't make any sense:" Appleton man locked up following 12th OWI arrest

RACINE COUNTY (WITI) -- An Appleton man is in jail following his 12th OWI arrest.

Snowmobiler Jim Gehrand says he loves to get off the road and into the snow. But when it comes to operating any vehicle while under the influence of alcohol -- now that's just too big of a jump.

On Thursday, February 5th, Gehrand reacted to word of a driver's 12th OWI arrest.

"This is ridiculous. That's crazy, you know? It just doesn't, it doesn't make any sense. You think five, six is a lot, but then 12," said Gehrand.

Racine County Sheriff's Lieutenant Steve Sikora says around 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning, February 3rd, a vehicle was stuck in a ditch near the intersection of Highway 11 and Gehrand Court.

Todd Lowery got out of his vehicle.

According to a criminal complaint, a deputy spotted Lowery stumbling in the eastbound lanes of Highway 11. He guided him to the shoulder of the road where he noticed Lowery's odor of intoxicants -- and that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot.

"Mr. Lowery admitted to having drinks that night," said Lieutenant Sikora.

Lowery told the deputy his female passenger had been drinking, and that he was simply trying to get the vehicle out of the ditch.

He was taken to the Racine County Jail where a preliminary breath test produced a reading of .22.

This marks Lowery's 12th arrest for OWI.

According to records, during the past 30 years he has been convicted of that charge 11 times in eight counties and three states, which led to his license being revoked.

"He's in the jail. He's being held on the OWI arrest and the 'operating after revocation' -- and the bond is a little over $10,000 cash," said Lieutenant Sikora.

The passenger told the deputy Lowery was behind the wheel when the vehicle got stuck in the ditch.

Investigators are trying to determine where Lowery had been drinking.

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