Police Arrest 27 in Weekend DUI Checkpoints

San Diego police arrested more than two dozen drivers during a pair of DUI checkpoints over the weekend.

Eleven arrests were made for suspicion of drunken driving and 11 vehicles were impounded during a San Diego Police Department checkpoint conducted late Friday until about 3 a.m. Saturday on College Avenue next to San Diego State University.

A total of 1,367 vehicles passed through the checkpoint and 962 of them were screened by officers.

The checkpoint was made possible by a UC Berkeley "DUI Mini Grant."

"The message is simple, drive sober or get pulled over," said Officer Mark McCullough of the San Diego Police Department. "Drinking and driving do not mix. If you plan to consume alcohol, plan not to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or ride a motorcycle."

McCullough also urged those witnessing drunk drivers to report them by calling 911.

At a second checkpoint Saturday night in Pacific Beach, officers arrested 16 people on suspicion of drunken driving and impounded 17 vehicles. Police started screening drivers in the 2600 block of Ingraham Street at about 10 p.m. Saturday and, by the time the operation wrapped up at 3 a.m., 1,448 vehicles had been checked, McCullough said.

Simple tips offered by McCullough for avoiding drinking and driving include designating a sober driver, planning a safe way home before festivities or, if impaired, calling a sober friend for a ride or using a taxi or other public transportation.

The national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" crackdown is led by the California Office of Traffic Safety. More information is available at www.californiaavoid.org 

-City News Service