An Altoona, Iowa, man faces a felony driving-while-intoxicated charge and three other counts after a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper reported stopping him for driving 100 mph on U.S. 63 with four children in the vehicle, according to court documents filed June 1 in Macon County.
Justus Garway, 30, is charged in the Circuit Court of Macon County with one count of driving while intoxicated as a persistent offender, a Class E felony; failure to comply with ignition interlock device requirements, a Class A misdemeanor; exceeding the posted speed limit by 26 mph or more, a Class B misdemeanor; and failure to secure a child under 8 in a child restraint, an infraction. The case is numbered 26MA-CR00160.
The charges stem from a traffic stop on the morning of May 31 on northbound U.S. 63 just north of Route M, according to a probable cause statement written by Trooper M. Riley.
According to the PC Statement, Riley clocked a silver 2019 Chrysler Pacifica at 100 mph in a 70 mph zone, then again at 98 mph, before stopping the vehicle. The trooper reported a strong odor of alcohol coming from the car and said he saw four children inside, one of whom appeared to be under 8 and was restrained only by a seat belt. A passenger told the trooper that child was 4 years old, the statement says.
The trooper wrote that the driver’s eyes were watery, bloodshot and glassy, and that when asked how much he had had to drink, the driver said “nothing.” The driver, identified by an Iowa license as Garway, declined to perform field sobriety tests, according to the statement. Riley wrote that a records check showed Garway was required to have an ignition interlock device on his license and that no such device was in the vehicle.
The PC Statement described the conduct as showing “extreme disregard for the safety of the community as well as the suspect’s own family due to his alcohol consumption and excessive speed while driving.”
Court records cite two prior driving-while-intoxicated convictions in Polk County, Iowa, in 2024 as the basis for charging the Missouri DWI as a persistent-offender felony. The charge is filed by Macon County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Meisner.
Judge Kristen Burks set bond at $15,000, cash only, and a warrant was served June 1. Garway is scheduled for a bond appearance hearing at 10 a.m. June 2 before Burks in Macon.
A Class E felony carries a possible sentence of one to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, up to a year in county jail, or a fine of up to $10,000. As a persistent offender, a defendant must serve 30 days before becoming eligible for probation or parole.
Garway has not yet entered a plea. Criminal charges are allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.