A Dangerous Holiday Weekend on Minnesota Roads
From parents endangering children to drivers so intoxicated they needed to be taken away in an ambulance, law enforcement kept Minnesota roads safer by taking impaired drivers off the streets during the first five days of the extra DWI enforcement period.
Holiday DWIs from 6 p.m. November 21 – 6 a.m. November 26
Officers, deputies and troopers arrested 480 drivers for DWI during the Thanksgiving enforcement period. DWI arrests for the previous three years are as follows:
2017 – 490
2016 – 448
2015 – 468
Deadly Choices
Preliminary data shows that three of the four fatal crashes over the holiday weekend were alcohol-related.
DWI arrests (November 21-25)
DWI arrests over the holiday period include:
Crystal Police Department
A 26-year-old woman was arrested for DWI after running a red light and almost hitting a squad car.
Deer River Police Department
Police were called to a home for a report of a vehicle parked in a driveway with someone inside flashing the headlights on and off. The 37-year-old driver blew a .34 blood alcohol content (BAC), had an open bottle and a mixed drink located in the vehicle.
Eden Prairie PD
A 17-year-old male was arrested in a church parking lot for DWI after blowing a .11 BAC. Four passengers were also detained with two 18-year-olds cited for consuming alcohol and possession of illegal drugs. Three of the four passengers were about to get into their own vehicles to drive.
A 21-year-old was arrested after blowing a .13 BAC. She was driving (without a license) because her passenger was “too drunk” to drive.
Shakopee Police Department
A 32-year-old female blew a .27 BAC with a 3-year-old child in the vehicle. It was her third DWI in 10 years.
South St. Paul Police Department
A 35-year-old man was arrested for DWI after blowing a .12 BAC. His five kids and his wife were in the vehicle.
Minnesota State Patrol
A driver was arrested for possession of meth with a child in the vehicle. The driver had five prior DWIs.
A trooper who stopped a vehicle for a headlight out discovered a 33-year-old female smoking marijuana with her 17-year-old nephew and his 17-year-old girlfriend moments before the vehicle was pulled over. The driver admitted to using meth 48 hours prior to the arrest.
A trooper arrested a 22-year-old for DWI after he blew a .15 BAC. The driver was giving three passengers a ride home from the bar.
A 61-year-old man was arrested for blowing a .34 BAC. He had a child in the car. The trooper indicated it was the first time they had to call an ambulance and bring a person to a hospital for intoxication only. The driver wasn’t able to get out of his vehicle, stand, walk or get into the squad without being mostly carried by the trooper and a deputy.
St. Paul Police Department
A 40-year old male who was going 78 in a 30 mph zone blew a .14 BAC. The driver said he was showing off for his kids. The driver had a prior DWI in 2016. Two of the three kids were his (10 and 15). The third child, a 14-year-old, was a friend they were driving home. The mother was called to the scene to pick up her child.
Note: For more information about an incident, please contact the arresting agency.
Extra DWI Enforcement
To help keep families together this holiday season, more than 300 law enforcement agencies across Minnesota are teaming up to get impaired drivers off the road. Officers, deputies and troopers statewide will be participating in an extra DWI enforcement campaign now through December 29.
DWI Consequences
Loss of license for up to a year, thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time.
Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges or face at least one year without a driver’s license.
Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges.
Prevent Drunk Driving
Plan for a safe ride – designate a sober driver, use a safe, alternative transportation option, or stay at the location of the celebration.
Speak Up – offer to be a designated driver, or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
Buckle up – the best defense against a drunk driver.
Report drunk driving – call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.
Source: MN Department of Public Safety