Mason City man arrested again for going 130+ MPH on highway

CLEAR LAKE — For the second time in two months, a Mason City man has been jailed after allegedly going twice the posted speed limit, and in the latter incident also is accused of assaulting a state trooper.

68-year-old Thomas Markwalter is accused of going 136 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone near Clear Lake on Wednesday in a Chevrolet Corvette before being slowed down when a state patrolman pulled in front of the vehicle. Authorities say the vehicles came to a slow roll before Markwalter drove into the back of the patrolman two different times.

After getting out of his vehicle, Markwalter is accused of punching the state trooper in the stomach before being forcibly taken into custody. A bottle of Bacardi was located in the vehicle.

Markwalter has been charged with assault on an officer, speeding, having an open container, failure to use a seat belt and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. He’s being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on a total of $2700 bond.

Markwalter was previously arrested on March 13th for going 130 miles per hour while traveling on US Highway 18 near Rudd in Floyd County. He has pleaded not guilty to speeding and  first offense operating while intoxicated in that case and is scheduled to stand trial on June 24th.