Officials: Waukesha man facing 8th OWI after being arrested in Racine

RACINE -- A Waukesha man is facing his 8th OWI offense after being arrested in Racine Friday night, Dec. 28.

According to officials, a Racine County Deputy was on routine patrol when he saw an SUV pass him on northbound I-94/41 from County Highway KR, driving much faster than the posted speed limit of 60 mph. The SUV began to weave between cars on the freeway, despite the snow that was falling.

The deputy was able to pace the SUV at 100 mph before the vehicle finally came to a stop. The deputy discovered that the SUV was driven by 47-year-old Kevin Tarbox of Waukesha, with a history of driving while intoxicated. Tarbox currently has a revoked driving status, along with seven OWI convictions he's obtained since 1994. His most recent OWI conviction was in 2016, and he is still on probation for that incident.

Tarbox complied with the deputy's request for a sobriety test, and after taking the test, he was arrested for his 8th OWI offense.

“It’s hard to comprehend that someone with seven prior OWIs was not incarcerated and able to earn his eighth OWI tonight," said Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling. "Although he was traveling over 100 mph in a construction zone on slick road conditions while allegedly intoxicated, we are all breathing a sigh of relief tonight that he didn’t seriously injure or kill an innocent person(s).”

Tarbox is currently being held at Racine County Jail on $6,283 cash bond as well as the Wisconsin Community Correction Warrant.