In California, a man who claimed to be driving under the influence during a traffic stop shortly after midnight on January 1st was arrested for driving under the influence.
Southern California's Murrieta Police Department shared body camera video of the encounter on its Instagram page Thursday.
At 12:40 a.m. on January 1st, Murrieta Police Officer Bridgewaters observed the driver attempting to cross the road, and the driver was pulled over for investigation of a possible DUI.
During the stop, a police officer asked the driver where he was coming from, to which the driver replied, “I was driving drunk tonight so I was just dropping off a friend.”
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A California man was arrested early on New Year's Day after telling police he was a “drunk driver” during a traffic stop on suspicion of driving under the influence, Murrieta police said. (Murrieta Police Department)
In the video, the officer can be seen asking the driver if he was driving under the influence of alcohol, and then correcting him by saying he meant “DD,” short for designated driver.
The driver was speechless after being corrected, but eventually admitted to drinking champagne and beer before agreeing to take a field sobriety test.
He nearly fell several times during a breathalyzer test and was sentenced to prison for drunk driving.
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The driver allegedly failed several field sobriety tests before being arrested. (Murrieta Police Department)
The police department said it employs two officers who “specialize in drunk driving investigations” and have received additional training in detecting and investigating impaired drivers.
According to the station, the Metropolitan Police Department's Traffic Bureau also conducts regular inspections with the aim of “further deterring drunk driving.”
Murrieta Police say the department regularly conducts sobriety checkpoints to emphasize the importance of not drinking and driving. (eye stock)
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The department shared that 37 people die every day in the United States from drunk driving-related crashes and urged drivers to celebrate responsibly.
The Metropolitan Police Department said in its post that 13,524 people will die from drunk driving in 2022.
