Nearly 150 drunken drivers were taken off Tri-City roads during a special holiday season DUI enforcement campaign.
Numbers just released today for the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed emphasis patrols show 102 drivers were arrested for suspected DUI in Benton County and 43 in Franklin County.
The statewide campaign, sponsored by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, ran from Thanksgiving to Jan. 2. In the Tri-Cities, officers from Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and Prosser police departments and Benton County and Franklin County sheriffÂ’s offices participated in the extra patrols.
Washington State Patrol Lt. Roger Wilbur said there were no DUI-related traffic fatalities on Tri-City roads during the enforcement campaign.
The last fatal crash was the Nov. 28 wrong-way collision on Interstate 82 that killed three people. Investigators are still waiting for test results for the wrong-way driver, but there was no indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, officials have said.
Troopers did see an increase in DUI arrests over the New YearÂ’s weekend when compared to past years, but only investigated one DUI-related collision that resulted in no injuries, Wilbur said.
“That was the good news,” he said. “Even though we say an increase in DUI arrests, we were happy … that we didn’t have more DUI-related collisions. Hopefully we’re taking them off before they’re crashing their cars … and being removed before they’re able to hurt someone.”
For the full story, see ThursdayÂ’s Herald and tricityherald.com.
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Holiday DUI emphasis patrols begin Thursday
Holiday DUI emphasis patrols begin Thursday
With the kick-off to the holiday season Thursday, law enforcement officers across the state are launching their impaired driving holiday emphasis patrols.
The Drive Hammered, Get Nailed campaign begins on Thanksgiving and runs through Jan. 2.
In the Tri-Cities, officers from Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and Prosser police departments and Benton County and Franklin County sheriff’s officers will be operating extra patrols to keep DUI drivers off the streets.
