UPDATE NO. 2, MAY 29, 12:32 P.M.: A woman who was ordered to park at a secondary area for closer scrutiny at the sheriff’s DUI checkpoint in Dana Point Friday night instead sped away—and into a light police, seriously injuring herself, deputies say.
The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. on Del Obispo Road, about a half mile from the sobriety stop at Del Obispo and Village Road. Kylie Sperrier suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries that the 32-year-old was being treated for at Mission Regional Hospital in Mission Viejo, according to sheriff’s Lt. John Roche, who added driving under the influence charges were pending.
UPDATE NO. 1, MAY 28, 12:15 P.M.: The Santa Ana Police Department announced it will run a DUI/drivers license checkpoint from 9 tonight (Saturday) through 3 a.m. Sunday in the 1400 block of South Bristol Street.
ORIGINAL POST, MAY 27, 11:36 A.M.: Various law enforcement agencies have announced Memorial Day weekend operations aimed at taking drunken drivers and unsafe motorcyclists off Orange County streets and freeways.
These kick off tonight with DUI checkpoints in Dana Point and Buena Park.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department did not disclose the exact location of the Dana Point checkpoint, which will be up from 6 tonight through 2 a.m. Saturday.
“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed 21 lives and resulted in 497 injuries,” says Deputy Manuel Cruz of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Bureau.
Buena Park Police Department’s Traffic Unit will be at the intersections of Knott and Noritsu avenues from 7 tonight through 3 a.m. Saturday.
“Over the course of the past three years, officers have investigated driving under the influence collisions which have claimed one life and resulted in another 47 injuries,” reads a BPPD advisory.
Funding for the checkpoints comes from California Office of Traffic Safety grants, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Orange County-area California Highway Patrol station says its officers and others statewide will be cracking down on DUI and traffic offenders over a “maximum enforcement period” that runs from 6:01 tonight through 11:59 p.m. Monday.
During last year’s MEP, 31 people died on California roadways, according to the CHP. Two-thirds of those deaths involved people who were not wearing seat belts (so buckle up!).
Besides seal-belt usage and drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, officers will focus on distracted driving this weekend, the CHP says.
The OCSD also announced “a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation” will be held today is areas frequented by motorcycles and where crashes involving bikes have happened.
The goal of sending extra deputies to patrol these areas is to lower deaths and injuries, the OCSD notes.
“Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes,” reads an OCSD release. “They will be cracking down on both those operating regular vehicles and motorcycles who are violating traffic safety laws.”
Deputies say motorcycle fatalities jumped dramatically in California, by over 28 percent since 2010. In 2013, 453 motorcyclists lost their lives, which was a five-year high. Speed, unsafe turning and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs by both riders and drivers alike are the leading causes of motorcycle fatals.
