Drunken Driving & Police Chases
Candy Priano, executive director of PursuitSAFETY, speaks out on this deadly combination: DUI + Chases
“Without question, DUI is a serious — very serious — situation. I'm very supportive of MADD’s efforts. PursuitSAFETY continues to monitor this situation. It's my goal to have PursuitSAFETY work with MADD because drunken driving is a public safety issue by itself; but when combined with police chases, the risk to the innocent bystander is obviously increased. Initiating a pursuit to pull over an impaired driver in the name of making the roads safer frequently risks doing exactly the opposite, hastening rather than preventing tragedy. PursuitSAFETY is working on developing all possibilities of improving safety in such dangerous situations, including better training, procedures and technologies."
Candy's letter to the editor: Lenient judge isn't clairvoyant
L.A. County Sheriff to Restrict Off Duty CarryThis year alone, 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested on alcohol-related charges. In an attempt to prevent further problems, Sheriff Lee Baca has proposed implementing some of the strictest off duty carry rules in the country. Read more.
DUI-Chase Victims
Newlyweds Erika Clouet, 24, and German Clouet, 23, were on a date, returning home after an evening at the movies. Married just two months earlier, their lives and the years ahead of them were taken away. A chase for a suspected drunken driver in Dallas, Texas, September 1, 2008, ended in a fiery crash, involving the suspected drunken driver and the young couple. The crash seriously injured four others in another vehicle. The suspect is a repeat offender on all counts: DWI and fleeing from the police.
Dallas police sheriff chases SUV, which then hits two other SUVs
Outrage follows deadly crash, The Dallas Morning News, September 2, 2008. More stories.
This list represents a few of the innocent bystanders killed as a result of DUI chases. There are many more ...
Racquel Akau, 38
Allison Angerman, 20
Michelle Benevedes, 39
Tabatha Berg, 3
Jacob "Jake" Brock, 19
Tina Brown, 26
Gregory Charles, 50
Pedro Davilla, 40, and his wife Cecilia Diaz Vasquez, 32
Eula Gladney, 70
Brandon Harper, 26
Officer Luke Hoffman, 24
Jennifer Kois, 19
Kirk John Mitchell, 42
Leeanna Newman, 20
Jody Perry, 37
Sheila J. Pierce, 51
Sarah Phillips, 20
Toni Sena
Teale Sisson, 9
Halley Simone Lee, 9 months old
Cody Brett Morrison, 22
Theodore Abraham Resnick, 33
Jesse Robertson, 36
Kristin Saragusa, 38
Sergio Valenzuela, 35
Rodrigo Vega, 38
Donna Wilson, 47, and Sean Wilson, 38