From Jan. 6 to Friday morning, Santa Barbara police officers arrested 17 drivers on suspicion of driving under the influence. One incident involved a significant traffic collision. In three other cases, motorists were driving the wrong way on one-way streets.
» At 11:40 p.m. Jan. 6, an officer was breaking up a loud party on Oceano Drive. He spotted a 20-year-old male driving away in a black SUV, and he knew from prior contacts that the driver’s license was suspended. The officer broadcast the information, and another officer stopped the driver on Cliff Drive. He was arrested for DUI, driving on a suspended license, a probation violation stemming from a prior DUI, a “zero-tolerance” violation for being a minor driving with any alcohol in his system and for not having insurance.
» At 12:24 a.m. Jan. 7, an officer stopped a 22-year-old male in a Honda Civic for driving the wrong way on Gutierrez Street. He was arrested for DUI.
» At 11:20 p.m. Jan. 7, an officer who works DUI enforcement stopped a 24-year-old female in a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta at 300 E. De la Guerra St. for speeding and rolling through two downtown stop signs. She was arrested for DUI. A passenger was in the vehicle.
» At 1 a.m. Jan. 8, a sergeant stopped a 22-year-old female on West Gutierrez Street for speeding and weaving downtown. She was arrested for DUI.
» At 3:35 a.m. Jan. 8, an officer, medics and fire rescue responded to a call of an unconscious woman behind the wheel of a Lincoln Navigator stopped at 1085 Coast Village Road with the engine running. The vehicle had jumped a curb and was resting against a palm tree and shrubbery. The 24-year-old driver was passed out. It took a few minutes of pounding on the windows and shining bright lights to awaken her. Her only impairment appeared to be alcohol consumption, and she was arrested for DUI.
» At 2:25 a.m. Jan. 8, an officer stopped a 25-year-old male in a Chevy Tahoe at 500 E. De la Guerra St. for a brake light out and because a passenger was not wearing a seat belt. The driver was arrested for DUI and for not having insurance.
» At 12:50 a.m. Saturday, a sergeant stopped a 1999 Toyota Corolla at 400 N. Alisos St. for unsafe speed and expired registration. The driver, a 21-year-old woman, was arrested for DUI. Of the three passengers, two were arrested for narcotic-related violations. The third was cited for curfew and released to a family friend.
» At 11:57 p.m. Saturday, an officer stopped a male driver at 200 E. Haley St. for a minor equipment violation. He was arrested for DUI and for being an unlicensed driver.
» At 1:47 a.m. Sunday, an officer spotted a 2004 BMW M3 speeding down Haley Street from Anacapa Street. The vehicle made a couple of turns before driving the wrong way up Anacapa from Gutierrez Street. The driver, a 23-year-old male, was arrested for DUI. There were two passengers in the vehicle.
» At 3:15 a.m. Sunday, an officer stopped a 21-year-old male at 1900 State St. for a brake light out. He was arrested for DUI — a combination of alcohol and marijuana. There was a passenger in the vehicle.
» At 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, an officer and paramedics responded to State and Hitchcock streets on a call of a possible drunken person lying on the ground. Paramedics arrived first and contacted a 54-year-old male, who appeared extremely intoxicated. Witnesses reported him driving a large truck that stalled in the street. The driver reportedly got out of the truck, fell down and was rolling around on the ground before a citizen helped him to his feet. He was arrested for DUI. His breath test result was a .37, more than 4½ times the legal limit of .08.
» At 8 p.m. Wednesday, an officer saw a motorcyclist stopped at a red light at State Street and Las Positas Road. The motorcyclist had trouble keeping his vehicle upright. When the light turned, the motorcyclist was swerving badly, nearly stalling and falling down. He stopped in a parking lot, allowing the motorcycle to fall on its side. The operator, a 48-year-old male, was arrested for DUI, for being an unlicensed driver and for not having insurance.
» At 10:23 p.m. Wednesday, a sergeant stopped a 39-year-old male in a 1992 T-Bird at 1500 De la Vina St. for a brake light out. He displayed symptoms of narcotics use, and a syringe was found in the vehicle. He was arrested for DUI drugs, illegal possession of the syringe and parole violation. There was a passenger in the vehicle.
» At 11 p.m. Wednesday, an officer spotted a 2001 Nissan Altima on Micheltorena Street, signaling to turn left the wrong way up Castillo Street. The officer flashed his lights, but the vehicle made the turn anyway. The officer made a traffic stop and arrested the driver, a 43-year-old woman, for DUI.
» At 11:20 p.m. Wednesday, an officer was patrolling Upper State Street when he saw a 2002 Honda Accord suddenly swerve off the roadway to the shoulder, then swerve back to the traffic lane. He stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, a 29-year-old male, who explained that he had dropped a hot taco in his lap. The driver was arrested for DUI.
» At 1:14 a.m. Thursday, an officer assisted in the investigation of a traffic collision on Carrillo Hill near Vista del Pueblo. The driver, a 31-year-old male, had crashed a 2001 Toyota pickup into two parked vehicles. His truck sustained major damage, including a sheared off right front tire. The parked vehicles sustained moderate to major damage. The driver said he was driving down Carrillo Hill when he tried to retrieve his cell phone from the floorboards. He then crashed into the parked vehicles. The driver was arrested for DUI alcohol possibly combined with Soma and marijuana.
» At 12:01 a.m. Friday, an officer stopped a 23-year-old male in a 2007 Scion at 200 Garden St. for unsafe turn and speeding. He was arrested for DUI alcohol, possibly combined with marijuana, and for not having insurance.
— Paul McCaffrey is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department.