East Hawaii News

Drug-Related Vehicle Fatalities Surge, DUIs Increase

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During the week of Dec. 10 through Dec. 16, Big Island police arrested 32 people for drunk driving.

Of those arrested, nine had been involved in traffic crashes. One of those drivers was below the legal drinking age of 21.

There have been 1,426 DUI arrests to date this year. At this same time in 2011, there were 1,392 arrests made. HPD has seen an increase in DUI arrests of 2.4% during that time.

The following arrests were made on the Big Island, listed by district: (courtesy HPD)

District

Weekly Total

Year to Date

Hāmākua

0

18

North Hilo

1

4

South Hilo

17

569

Puna

6

163

Ka’ū

0

24

Kona

5

555

South Kohala

3

80

North Kohala

0

13

Island Total:

32

1,426

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So far this year, there have been 1,382 major accidents on the Big Island, compared with 1,339 during the same period in 2011. Overall, major motor vehicle crashes have increased 3.2%.

Traffic fatalities have surged on the island this year, increasing 76.2% since this same time in 2011. To date, there have been 37 traffic fatalities in Hawaii county, compared with 21 during the same period last year.

12 of those deaths were related to drugs and 4 were attributed to alcohol, while 12 people perished due to drivers who were under the influence of a combination of both.

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Police have notified the public that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island-wide.

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