DUI Arrests Down, Fatalities Up Over July 4 Weekend In San Diego County

Updated 6:15 p.m. Wednesday:

Traffic accidents claimed two lives in the San Diego area during the five-day Independence Day weekend, authorities reported Wednesday.

California Highway Patrol officers arrested 62 motorists on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on local roadways over the same 102-hour period.

Statewide, 47 people died in vehicle crashes and the CHP made 1,244 DUI arrests between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, the agency reported.

SAN DIEGO, CA – DUI arrests for the holiday weekend are down this year over last, but fatalities are up, both statewide and in San Diego County, the California Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

Between Friday, June 30 at 6 p.m. when the Fourth of July weekend officially began, and Tuesday at 6 a.m., there were 54 DUI arrests reported throughout San Diego County, down from 79 arrests reported during the same time period in 2016.

Statewide for the same period, 1,083 DUI arrests were reported this year compared to 1,118 reported a year ago.

So far, there have been two fatalities reported in San Diego Country compared with a single fatality reported during the same time last year. Statewide, 35 fatalities have been reported, up from the 27 in 2016.

Reported DUI arrests were only those made by CHP officers. Fatalities reported are for all law enforcement agencies.

The CHP investigates all crashes on freeways, and on all roads in unincorporated areas.

By City News Service / Patch file photo