DUI News Digest

A mother in Kentucky was arrested Sunday after allegedly driving drunk with her son in the car as some sort of “lesson,” police said — though it was not clear exactly what the supposed lesson was. Sunita Jairam, 48, was arrested around 12:51 a.m. and told police at the time she  “drank a bunch of beer and got in her car to drive to teach her son a lesson,” according to the arrest citation obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Read More »

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — The man accused of driving drunk and causing a New Year’s Day pile-up on the 22 Freeway that killed a 9-year-old girl and her mother has pleaded not guilty in the case. Melvin Branch, 30, appeared in front of a judge for the first time on Monday, facing vehicular manslaughter charges. He is accused of driving while intoxicated and causing a four-car crash east of Valley View. Payton Castillo and her mother, 33-year-old Jolene Gardner, and ... Read More »

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (WPVI) — The California Highway Patrol shared a funny picture with a serious message on New Year’s Eve: don’t drink and drive! The CHP posted a picture on Instagram, where they said a DUI suspect was involved in a hit-and-run and took off. When he tried to lean over to a gate keypad, he fell out of his window, and his foot got stuck in the steering wheel. Cathedral City police arrived and helped him out — ... Read More »

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – “A person has physical control of their vehicle if their keys are in the ignition,” says Sergeant Jason Reber, of Susquehanna Township Police. Physical control is a key phrase in determining if someone could be given a DUI while parked. “Let’s say they’re in a parking lot, and at that time they decide to sleep it off, but they leave the keys in the car to stay warm. By law, they can still be charged with ... Read More »

A police officer in Kentucky was killed by a driver allegedly under the influence while she was conducting a traffic stop on Christmas Eve. Detective Deidre Mengedoht, 32, pulled over a pickup truck in Louisville and was subsequently hit by a different semi-truck. “The semi pushed the police car into the truck she had stopped,” Louisville police chief Steve Conrad said in a news conference Monday. “There were four people in the pickup truck. None of them were seriously injured. Unfortunately the detective’s car ... Read More »

More than a quarter of a million people illegally present in the United States were removed from the country in fiscal year 2018, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Approximately half of the 158,000 people arrested by ICE — 80,730 — had been charged or convicted of driving under the influence, according to the agency’s annual report. The second-highest category for arrests was for crimes related to “dangerous drugs,” followed by traffic offenses. Read More »

TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on a North Carolina bus crash that injured 13 students (all times local): A North Carolina woman has been charged with driving while impaired after a crash with a school bus that sent 13 students to the hospital. The North Carolina Highway Patrol issued a news release saying Kimberly Ann Austin was also charged with driving left of center. The 56-year-old Taylorsville resident was being treated Monday afternoon at a hospital. It wasn’t clear ... Read More »

GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) – Four children have tragically passed away after a collision in Greenville County, and the man accused of driving the car is being held in jail on no bond after he was accused of driving under the influence. The Greenville County Coroner said three young children were killed in a car crash on East Mountain Creek Church Road early in the morning on Friday, December 7. The crash happened just after midnight. Troopers with the South Carolina ... Read More »

TUPELO – Tupelo city attorney Ben Logan was arrested for drunk driving Friday night. The Mississippi Highway Patrol confirmed that Logan, 55, had been charged with DUI-refusal. No other details were released. Even though Logan was arrested in Lee County, he was never booked into the Lee County Jail. Reports say Logan was leaving a Christmas party when he was stopped at a safety checkpoint. Read More »

DAYTON, Tenn. (AP) – Authorities say a Tennessee bus driver transporting students to school was charged with driving under the influence after students on board called parents to say he was driving erratically. Rhea County Sheriff’s Detective Rocky Potter told news outlets that 58-year-old Michael Ledbetter was arrested Wednesday morning after failing a field sobriety test. Read More »