Racine police say a 53-year-old man is facing drunk driving and drug charges after he crashed his Porsche in the fencing around John Batten Field.
According to the criminal complaint, Jeffrey Colwell, of Caledonia, was facing two felony charges of drug possession and one misdemeanor count each of operating while intoxicated – second offense and possession of a controlled substance. Online court records indicated he was originally charged on August 21, but the charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means the District Attorney can refile.
Colwell was in court Thursday but was only charged with the second offense OWI. If the DA files the drug charges against Colwell, he could face up to 7-1/2 years in prison and/or up to $20,600 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called at 5:30 p.m. to the 2700 block of N. Green Bay Road for a report of a yellow Porsche Cayman that went off the road and crashed into fencing at Batten Field. When officers arrived, a witness said they’d seen the driver of the Porsche swerve around a white van and lose control of the car. The driver – later identified as Colwell – took out several sections of the the fence and came to rest against a runway beacon.
Officers say they spoke to Colwell, and he admitted to having “a couple of beers,” and that “It’s always a couple.” Police escorted Colwell to a nearby parking lot in order to administer field sobriety tests on a flat service. The defendant failed the test he did take but refused to participate further and became combative when officers told him he was under arrest.
Colwell was searched subsequent to his arrest and was found with a black plastic container with three Oxycontin; three each of acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride; and four pills of Diazapem, the complaint reads. He told police he had a prescription for the pills, but he didn’t have it with him.
Colwell signed a $500 signature bond and will next be in court Oct. 8 for his pre-trial conference on the OWI charge.