Charles City man charged with OWI traffic fatality in Mason City man’s death

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man has been charged with causing a Mason City man’s death by allegedly driving while intoxicated and crashing into him head-on in a collision in July.

Timothy James Hoy, age 58, was charged in Cerro Gordo County District Court with homicide by vehicle – operating under the influence, a Class B felony, for the incident that occurred near Nora Springs.

According to a report by the Iowa State Patrol, Hoy was driving eastbound on 265th Street about 2 miles west of Nora Springs near Yarrow Avenue, at about 11:10 p.m. on July 25, while Stephen John Miles, age 41, of Mason City was driving westbound.

Hoy’s 2013 Nissan Altima crossed the centerline, crashing head-on into a 2005 Pontiac G5 being driven by Miles, the State Patrol report said.

Miles was pronounced dead at the scene. Two teenage passengers in Miles’ vehicle received minor injuries and were transported to the Mason City hospital.

According to the criminal complaint filed last week in Cerro Gordo County District Court by a county sheriff’s deputy, “Hoy admitted to consuming alcohol on this date, had bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, unsteady balance, and a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person. Hoy failed field sobriety tests and gave a breath sample which was over .08%. A blood sample was taken from Hoy and the result was .179%.”

Hoy was arrested in Floyd County by a Cerro Gordo County deputy and transported to the Cerro Gordo County Jail in Mason City.

At an initial appearance before a magistrate, Hoy was released under the supervision of the Iowa Department of Corrections. A preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 31, although preliminary hearings are frequently not held if charges are formally filed in a trial information before that date.

Hoy was also charged with a traffic violation of driving on the wrong side of the road on a two-lane highway.

A conviction of vehicular homicide as a Class B felony carries a mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison in Iowa.