10 months ago
25
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - With Halloween astir the country and the holidays following, Fresno County officials came unneurotic to punctual drivers of the dangers and consequences of getting down the instrumentality portion nether the influence.
"The mode to forestall drinking and driving accidents is planning. It is organizing, it is communicating, it is being honorable with who you are, what you're doing, wherever you're going, and who you tin perchance affect," said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp.
Smittcamp emphasizes the value of the community's work to clasp 1 different accountable and usage bully judgement to forestall drivers from taking people's lives and a beingness of regret.
"I'm besides going to implore edifice owners, bars, bartenders to beryllium liable due to the fact that these are situations we each cognize erstwhile radical tin devour intoxicant the archetypal happening that goes retired the model and the archetypal happening that is affected is your judgment," she said.
In 2024 alone, the DA has filed 3,556 misdemeanor and 232 felony DUI cases. This follows 2023's 4,849 misdemeanor and 308 felony DUI cases.
"Those numbers are shocking. They're appalling due to the fact that each 1 of those drivers had a choice. Every 1 of those radical had a prime not to thrust portion they're drinking," Smittcamp expressed.
"On Highway 33 determination was a operator who was partying with his friends and nary 1 stopped him. They allowed him to thrust and helium was speeding implicit 90 miles an hr and deed my family's vehicle," Pulido recalled.
The clang killed Pulido's full household and the drunk driver— successful total, 9 radical were killed.
"Be a bully friend. If your friends are gonna party, halt them from driving and possibly idiosyncratic doesn't person to unrecorded what I'm living," Pulido said.
Smittcamp emphasizes done Pulido's tragic communicative the precise existent consequences of the hazard idiosyncratic takes erstwhile they determine to portion and drive.
"As a nine we person to inquire ourselves 'where are we putting our value?'" said Smittcamp. "This is an epidemic. We're astatine the constituent present with DUI astatine the aforesaid spot we are with fentanyl. The radical successful the transgression justness strategy bash not person the tools to constabulary and prosecute our mode retired of this. We person to beryllium connected the assemblage to beryllium liable for itself and we person to beryllium liable for different people."
The DA emphasizes that repetition DUI offenders volition beryllium held accountable to the fullest extent.
"If you are 1 of these thousands of radical successful Fresno County who has been convicted of a misdemeanor DUI oregon a felony DUI and you take to bash that behaviour again and idiosyncratic is killed, you tin and volition beryllium prosecuted for second-degree murder," she continued.
Authorities impulse the nationalist if they travel crossed drivers connected the roadworthy believed to beryllium driving nether the influence, to dial 9-1-1 truthful that an serviceman whitethorn instrumentality the due enforcement action.
