The Inland Empire Crime Blog

Redlands Police arrested eight drivers for driving under the influence, including two drunken drivers who collided with each other, during a holiday DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint Friday night and Saturday morning.

Redlands Police conducted the checkpoint in the eastbound lanes of Redlands Boulevard at Alabama Street in front of Lowes, beginning at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18. The checkpoint was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Two drivers were arrested after they collided with each other near the intersection of Citrus Avenue and Cajon Street at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday. Michael Charles Johnson, 40, and McKenna Marie Lundsford, 25, were arrested for driving under the influence. No one was injured.

Sgt. Travis Martinez, on his way to the checkpoint, arrested 40-year-old Christina Chavez of Redlands at Sixth and High streets for driving under the influence.

Others arrested for driving under the influence during the holiday checkpoint were 30-year-old Antonio Gonzales; Francisco Padilla, 19; Timothy Juan Brazeal, 20; James Jefferson Carville, 31; and Michael Anthony Kennedy, 22.

The Redlands Police Department joined law enforcement across the state as part of California’s 18 Day Holiday DUI Crackdown Campaign with law enforcement agencies deploying 300 DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints statewide. Funding for the special enforcement campaign, Dec. 16, 2009 through Jan. 3, 2010 comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Redlands Police will conduct a second DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint from 10:30 p.m. Jan. 2 through 3 a.m. Jan. 3 at a location yet to be determined. Redlands Police will also have a dedicated DUI officer working full time late in the evenings.

“The cost of a DUI conviction is very expensive,” said Sgt Rick Smith of the Redlands Police Department Traffic Unit. “Plan to use a designated driver or a taxi service if you plan on drinking any alcohol this Holiday Season or any other time of the year. The City of Redlands has had several DUI-Fatality crashes the past few years. Currently, one DUI driver is serving a life sentence for driving intoxicated in Redlands. This driver crossed over the double yellow lines and killed an innocent motorist. The risk is too high, take a taxi or use a designated driver.”

In 2008, 11,773 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In California 1,029 were killed on state and local roads driving with a .08 BAC or higher with another 28,457 injured in Alcohol Involved Collisions.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you are under arrest.”

Law enforcement encourages everyone planning a family gathering over the holidays to first think about how your friends and family will get home after drinking during holiday celebrations. Everyone is encouraged to “Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911” and be ready to describe the vehicle, its location and direction of travel to make your community safer into the New Year. With everyone’s help, families won’t remember the holidays of 2009 as a time of loss at the hands of another drunk driver.

via City of Redlands.
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