At the heels of COVID, and with summer soon approaching, many are looking forward to gathering with friends to have a few drinks to unwind.
According to the California Highway Patrol Newhall Division, there is a 15% rise in DUI arrests.
In the blink of an eye, a person’s life can be forever altered if they decide to drink while under the influence.
Officer Josh Greengard shares the impacts of choosing to drive while intoxicated.
“You could hurt yourself or hurt somebody else. You can be criminally prosecuted. [Just]a standard DUI is going to cost you north of $15,000.”
While conducting a routine DUI checkpoint over the weekend in Santa Clarita, a bystander,William Kirsch, approached Officer Greengard to share his story of friends he had lost to drunk drivers.
Mr. Kirsch fought back tears as he recalled a friend and the friend’s girlfriend getting stuck over train tracks while a train was headed in their direction.
“Having these checkpoints saves lives – period,” Kirsch said.
Mr. Kirsch asked Officer Greengard about how the breathalyzer works and asked to have his alcohol levels checked on the spot.
When Officer Greengard was asked what he would say to a person who had one too many drinks that were contemplating driving home, he said “Driving under the influence could have a lasting effect on all of those around you”.
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