DUI Representation

Police Screen and Make Arrests at Mission Bay Drive Checkpoint in San Diego

Published on: July 28, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

Authorities set up a checkpoint somewhere in the 4200 block of Mission Bay Drive in the hopes of removing some drunk drivers from the streets – which they have successfully done on numerous occasions in the past – and continue to do frequently. The checkpoint began around 11pm on Friday night, operating for roughly four hours before coming to a close Saturday morning at about 3am. Although driving under the influence isn’t the only offense the police officers screen for during routine license checkpoints, it is usually the one seen most often and the one most vital to get off of the roadways. During the hours of the Mission Bay Drive checkpoint, officers on the scene were able to stop a total of almost 572 vehicles for further inspection; around 1,800 vehicles passed through the checkpoint in total. Out of the almost 600 vehicles screened, officers were able to make a total of nine arrests on drunk driving charges.

Sources:
“DUI Checkpoint in Mission Bay Nets Nine Arrests” – San Diego 6, the CW

Woman Accused of DUI Manslaughter in Custody Awaiting Trial in San Diego

Published on: July 22, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

New developments have occurred regarding a DUI incident covered a few weeks back. The driver at fault is now awaiting a trial date and is in custody with a bond price of $500,000. A cab driver, 42-year-old Antenah Minassie, was driving his cab on Interstate 5 when he was rammed into by a vehicle driving the wrong way. The wrong-way vehicle was being driven by Amy Marie St. John-Smith, who had a blood alcohol level of an astonishing 0.27 percent; over three times the legal limit! In her drunken stupor, she drove the wrong way up the off-ramp on Washington Street, setting off a dangerous chain reaction of accidents. When she hit Minassie’s cab, she did not stop to check on him or phone for help, fleeing the scene; making it a hit-and-run case. Stunned, Minassie got out of his car to recoup and assess the damages, tragically creating the circumstances for his own death. Another vehicle slammed into the back of his cab, the sheer momentum causing his car to fly toward him, killing him instantly. Minassie was a full-time engineer and only drove the cab for a second income; he is survived by his wife and three children.

Sources:
“Driver to Face Trial on Murder Charge in Cabbie’s Death” – UT San Diego

Arrests Made After Race on Thursday in Del Mar – San Diego

Published on: July 21, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

Everyone had a great time watching the horse race last Thursday at the Del Mar racetrack, the 75th season of local thoroughbred racing; alcoholic drinks were a fan favorite. After the fun was over, authorities were ahead of the game and set up patrols and road traps, screening people as they went through. In total, there were 14 teams of officers on the job from Thursday at 5 p.m. to Friday at 2 a.m., and it proved to be a good use of resources when the arrests and violations started pouring in. In total, just under 200 vehicles were stopped between the designated patrol times and 13 drunk driving arrests were made – one guy even had some brass knuckles! Aside from those arrests, police cited a person for marijuana possession and ticketed for 50 other violations – four vehicles were impounded, too. Authorities made a statement saying they went into action to reduce drunk driving and had no other choice but to remove any and all persons suspected of it from the streets and roadways to keep drivers safe; and that’s exactly what they did.

Sources:
“13 Arrests for DUI Near Del Mar Racetrack” – KFMB 760am

Police Search for Dangerous Hit-and-Run Driver in San Diego

Published on: July 16, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

Cesar Chavez Parkway in San Diego became a danger zone Monday night when a southbound grey and red sedan swerved its way into northbound traffic. The sedan pummeled a man riding a motorcycle in said northbound traffic, causing the driver to be rushed to the hospital and fighting for his life with life-threatening injuries; a compound fracture to his leg and head injuries. The driver of the sedan, however, managed to escape, making it a hit-and-run case and initiating a search by authorities to locate him/her. Witnesses managed to see where the sedan driver who hit the motorcycle sped off to, stating the vehicle was seen driving east on Newton Avenue. Authorities have not yet released the description of the driver but have continued the search throughout San Diego and its surrounding areas Tuesday night. They are not yet able to determine the cause of the driver’s actions and if the behavior was a result of drugs or alcohol. Hopefully police are able to locate the driver soon and the motorcycle driver in the hospital undergoes a speedy recovery.

Sources:
“Motorcyclist Seriously Hurt in Hit-and-Run Crash” – CBS 8 San Diego

Fourth of July Weekend Proved To Be Full Of Bad Decision Makers; DUIs in San Diego

Published on: July 8, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

This year’s Fourth of July weekend proved to be a weekend of poor decision making after celebrating; 48 DUI arrests were made by local police officers. During the same window of time these arrests were made, from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Saturday, one fatality was reported. The wreck that caused this fatality occurred on Thursday night in San Diego county on I-805, in the southbound lanes; south of El Cajon Blvd. The wreckage was a scene of a three vehicle affair; one of them being a semi-truck. The specific details of the crash are not yet available to report, but the unidentified driver of a sedan from the accident was sent to the hospital with extremely serious injuries – and later was pronounced dead on Friday by the Medical Examiner’s office, thus the lone fatality.

The fatality statistics are calculated county wide, but the DUI count is just based on local police arrests. The number of DUIs has increased slightly from the previous year, where CPH arrested a stunning 46 drunk drivers.

Across the state of California there were 15 fatalities and a monstrous grand total of 747 drunk drivers arrested, a huge leap from last year when 9 people lost their lives and 564 drivers were arrested for DUI. Four of the fatalities were the result of the individuals not using their seat-belt while in the vehicle. In addition to those four, two motorcyclists and a pedestrian were killed, the details of these incidents not yet released. Do not drink and drive! But if you happen to have a DUI charge already, make sure you have an awesome lawyer and check out our firm!

Deadly Crash Caused By Woman Under The Influence Deemed Suicide in San Diego

Published on: June 3, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

A shocking portrayal of drug using’s true potential occurred in Lakeside earlier this week. Trista Lynn Stier, a native to the area, was operating her vehicle under the influence of marijuana and methamphetamine. When an individual smokes meth, their world is full of hallucinations and perceptions completely unique to themselves; it can be very dangerous. During a stage of the drug using cycle called “tweaking,” which occurs at the end of a drug binge when the drug no longer provides a rush or a high, the user is capable of anything. Tweaking can cause a state of complete psychosis and is the stage of the methamphetamine high that can manifest itself into physical danger. Trista Lynn Stier was most likely in a similar state when she deliberately crashed head-on into a truck, killing herself and the truck driver instantly. 50-year-old Douglas M. Menegos was driving his truck on State Route 67 when Trista Stier sped the wrong way up an off-ramp, resulting in the collision of their two vehicles. Because of the circumstances of the crash, police drug tested the driver at fault and this is when it was determined 29-year-old Trista Stier tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana. Even though Stier’s actions were likely solely the result of the effects of the drugs, authorities cited her death as suicide; her deliberate head-on crash is all they have to speak as to how she felt and why it happened.

Sources:
“Deadly Crash on SR-67 Caused by Suicidal Driver” – CBS 8

Fatal Crash Involving Motorcyclist Crashing Into and Sliding Under 4-Door Sedan, San Diego

Published on: June 2, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

A devastating, fatal collision occurred yesterday afternoon involving a 55-year-old man from Oceanside. He was riding on his Triumph motorcycle, bobbing and weaving through vehicles as he passed them near State Route 76 in front of the Oak Knoll Campground. Witnesses told officers arriving on the scene that the crash happened around midnight, with one of these witnesses evening saying he experienced the motorcyclists reckless driving on the highway.

“He passed me,” the witness stated, “and even did it over the double-yellow line.”

it appears as if this behavior continued, leading to his untimely death. The motorcyclist tried to pass a Toyota Corolla, not seeing that the car ahead of him, the Corolla, was attempting to turn left, thus creating a recipe for a disaster collision. The motorcycle driven by the 55-year-old man impaled into the side of the 4-door, but the momentum of the cycle itself was left high enough to continue to slide underneath the car and out the other side.

Man Impales Ford Escape Into 3 Different Vehicles, Possible DUI in San Diego

Published on: May 30, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

Last weekend in North Park, San Diego, a very interesting series of events took place. Apparently a 42-year-old man, his name not revealed as of yet, was driving through a liquor store parking lot and pummeled into two parked vehicles. This first event of more to follow occurred around midnight, Sunday the 25th. After scraping his Ford Escape against stationary vehicles, the driver sped away from the scene, only to get into even more trouble. About four blocks away, he floored-it through a red light and smacked into another moving vehicle, a black Saab. This unfortunate collision took place at the intersection of Park Boulevard and University Avenue.

The wreck ended up being fairly serious, with all individuals inside of each vehicle sent to nearby hospitals. The vehicles suffered significant damage, with doors having to be removed by firefighters to rescue the injured people stuck inside. The driver of the black Saab suffered a neck fracture, with his passenger also suffering minor injuries. The loose-cannon driver of the Ford Escape and his passenger also suffered minor injuries, but non life-threatening. San Diego police are running toxicology reports to determine the sobriety of the collision-happy driver of the Ford Escape, but may go ahead and initiate charges anyway. The Traffic Division is currently investigating the details of the collision.

Sources:

Overnight Checkpoints Catch 23 Drunk Drivers On Site

Published on: May 20, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

A couple of overnight checkpoints in San Diego this weekend proved necessary, for as many as twenty-three suspected drunk drivers were pulled over to ascertain their state of influence. Driving under the influence is one of the top offenses in the United States, taking countless lives by something entirely preventable. In a study done by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), teens and young adults were tested (without them knowing it was a test) on whether they would take the passenger’s seat in a vehicle operated by a drunk driver. Shockingly, as many as 54% of them sealed their fate with a loose cannon behind the wheel.

The checkpoints this past weekend on May 17th and 18th were located on Mission Bay Drive near I-5 and 14th & G. They ran for about 4 hours, in a gap from approximately 11:00pm Saturday to 3:00am Sunday, where around 4,000 vehicles passed through in total. At 14th & G, almost 2,000 vehicles were subject to the checkpoint and screening process, with a whopping 880 of the drivers actually being screened. Of those 880, 24 drivers were detained for further evaluation and 10 additional drivers were arrested on the spot for DUI. The Mission Bay checkpoint was equally successful, with close to 1,900 vehicles being subject to screen, 772 actually being screened and 16 held for further evaluation; 13 of those held were subsequently arrested for driving under the influence.

These two checkpoints and many others were funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Driver Arrested for DUI After Ramming Cadillac Into a Telephone Pole

Published on: May 1, 2014 | by Leslie Legal Group

On Sunday April 27, a young man by the name of Stephen Want was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after his car rammed into a power pole. The accident occurred at approximately 4pm, and state Route 76 near Pauma Valley was immediately shut down in both directions. The alleged drunken driver was behind the wheel of a 2003 Cadillac sedan – the vehicle swerved into a telephone pole and plucked it from the ground, pulling the electrical wires with it. When the electrical wires flew down, a small fire lit up, but was easily eliminated without the help of the local firemen; they had not yet arrived. When the Cadillac plowed into the electrical pole on the highway, power was out in 650 houses and businesses in Rincon, Hellhole Canyon, Vally Center, Mesa Grande, Santa Ysabel, Palomar Mountain, Lake Henshaw areas and the La Jolla Indian Reservation. Highway lanes remained closed while San Diego Gas & Electric quickly responded to the loss of power caused by the wreckage. They were able to pinpoint the open electrical path and make the essential reparations. Power was promptly restored to all homes but 6, and those homes had their power restored not long after. As for route 76, lanes going in both directions reopened at about 7pm that evening. Luckily the driver responsible was not injured, but as stated earlier was taken in for suspicion of drunken driving. He was booked into the Vista jail by the California Highway Patrol.

Sources:

“Driver Arrested For DUI After Wreck Closes Highway 76” – San Diego 6