Amador County – The number of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend were slightly lower this year in Amador County, but slightly higher in Calaveras County.
Amador County also experienced 7 non-fatal vehicle accidents. 2 DUI arrests were made: one for driving drunk, the other for driving under drug intoxication.
“Overall for a four-day weekend, these numbers are very good and better than statistics from last year,” says Craig Harmon, Public Information Officer for the Amador County CHP.
In Calaveras County, CHP officers arrested four people suspected of driving under the influence, beginning 6 pm Wednesday and ending 11:59 pm on Sunday. Last year the Calaveras CHP arrested three people.
The Calaveras CHP handled 10 vehicle accidents compared to a total of nine accidents last year.
One fatality occurred when Margaret Livingston, a 66-year-old resident of Martinez, unsuccessfully negotiated a curve on Highway 49 near the Amador Calaveras county line and slammed head-on into an oncoming vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle, Valley Springs resident Cindy Reading, suffered major injuries and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital.
The Calaveras CHP says that, “statewide, the CHP arrested 1784 drivers on suspicion of driving under the influence compared to 1717 for the same period last year. Despite the increase in arrests, 13 people died in automobile accidents this year, which is a decrease from 22 people for last year.” The CHP in San Andreas reported that they were working hard to slow motorists down. They wrote 33 citations during the holiday weekend. One citation was for not wearing a seatbelt.
CHP officers were on high alert throughout the weekend due to a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP). The CHP’s holiday enforcement effort began Wednesday, November 24th at 6 p.m. and ended 11:59 pm, Sunday, November 28th. Throughout the MEP all available officers were looking for motorists who are a danger to themselves or others on our state’s roadways.
Additional MEP’s are expected to occur as the Christmas holiday approaches, said Harmon.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
