CHP releases Thanksgiving DUI numbers

Vehicle crashes and drunk driving arrests were down across the Coachella Valley over the Thanksgiving holiday break, according to statistics released Monday by the California Highway Patrol’s Indio office.

During the CHP’s Maximum Enforcement Period, which stretched from 6:01 p.m. Wednesday until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, the CHP recorded 17 DUI arrests and 14 crashes in the region.

One of those crashes was fatal, in which an unidentified 66-year-old man was struck by a car Saturday night in Mecca and died at the scene. Another fatal crash that occurred outside CHP’s purview happened in Palm
Springs on Friday, when 20-year-old Juan Cuevas-Jaime of Cathedral City was struck by a pickup truck while riding a motorcycle.

However, reckless driving in general was down across the board compared with the last two years.

In 2014, 32 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence, with 24 crashes occurring during the Thanksgiving enforcement period. In 2015, the CHP arrested 26 drivers on suspicion of DUI, with 16 crashes recorded during the holiday break.

CHP Officer Jairo Rivera said additional shifts were added during the holiday weekend to aid enforcement efforts and that the CHP was “pleased that the numbers of collisions and arrests have come down.”