Greg Forristall, State Representatuve, District 48

A lawmaker from southwest Iowa was arrested Wednesday afternoon on an OWI charge.

According to Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker, Republican State Representative Greg Forristall, of Macedonia, was taken into custody at around 3:30-p.m, after a sheriff’s deputy observed a vehicle driving erratically in Carson on Highway 92.

Danker says the deputy was eastbound, and he had to pull onto the shoulder of the road to avoid a vehicle that was driving westbound in the eastbound lane. He followed the vehicle and observed it swerving again, into the eastbound lane.

The deputy stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver, who was identified as the 61-year old Forristall. Danker said Forristall told deputies he was on his way home to rural Macedonia from Des Moines. Because Forristall is diabetic, an emergency rescue crew was called to the scene to see if health issues contributed to the erratic driving, but Danker says the man checked out OK. He was then given a field sobriety test, which Forristall failed.

Forristall was brought to the Pottawattamie County Jail in Council Bluffs where a blood alcohol content test was administered. Danker said the test yielded a result of .276; .08 is the legal limit in Iowa. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of first offense OWI. After being booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail, Forristall posted $1,000 bond and was released.

Forristall issued an e-mail statement Thursday regarding his arrest Wednesday for suspicion of operating while intoxicated:

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“I am truly sorry for the decision I made. I apologize to my family, friends, and constituents for my poor decision. I fully accept the consequences of my actions.”