2 Arrested In Escondido DUI Checkpoint

ESCONDIDO, CA – A sobriety checkpoint in Escondido resulted in multiple tickets issued and two arrests – one for suspected alcohol impairment, the other for suspected marijuana impairment, authorities said Sunday.

The Escondido Police Department conducted the checkpoint from 5 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Second Avenue and Broadway.

Officers issued 20 citations for unlicensed drivers, two for drivers with no insurance and one for a driver with a suspended license, according to Escondido Police Lt. Michael Kearney.

More than 1,600 cars passed through the checkpoint.

"In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug- impaired driving crashes," Kearney said. "The Escondido Police Department supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that `DUI Doesn't Just Mean Booze.' If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI."

The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock