A Bettendorf, Iowa, woman has been charged in connection with a January drunken-driving accident on U.S. 61 in Dubuque County that seriously injured a passenger in her vehicle.
Geri M. Raba, 21, of Bettendorf, faces a charge of serious injury by vehicle after a rollover accident on Jan. 24 left her passenger, Rachel Koester, of Welton, Iowa, with permanent injuries.
Koester suffered spine, rib, hand, right ankle, left knee and left foot fractures in the crash. Her injuries required multiple surgeries and placement in a nursing home for physical therapy.
Raba had a blood-alcohol level of 0.146 at the time of the accident, well above the legal limit, according to authorities.
Raba was traveling southbound on U.S. 61 with Koester around 11:30 p.m. after leaving a Christmas party at The Meadows in Asbury. Raba lost control of her vehicle and drove off the roadway into a ditch, ejecting Koester, according to court documents.
Raba returned to the highway and flagged down help, while Koester remained in the ditch, unable to walk.
Koester and Raba were transported to Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque for their injuries. Koester was later airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
Raba was "very unruly and uncooperative," according to court documents, and had to be restrained and sedated by Mercy officials upon arrival.
