Riceville man sentenced to a week in jail after drunken collision injures two

RICEVILLE — A Riceville man accused of striking a horse-drawn buggy earlier this year causing serious injury to two people has been sentenced to a week in jail.

66-year-old Ronald Mayer was traveling in the 4500 block of Walnut Avenue on February 7th when his vehicle collided with the back of a horse-drawn buggy driven by Christian Bontreger of Riceville. Bontreger suffered serious head and leg injuries and was transported to the Mayo Clinic hospitals in Rochester.

Court documents state that Mayer’s blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was as high as .143, well above the legal limit of .08. 

Mayer had pleaded not guilty to two counts of serious injury, but as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors recently pleaded guilty to second offense operating while intoxicated. He was sentenced to 365 days in jail with all but seven days suspended and fined $1875.