Impaired Driving Remains Significant Threat

Editor's Note: The following features are from Lakeville Police Chief Thomas Vonhof's weekly newsletter, "Breezes."

Distracted driving is increasingly being attributed as one of the primary causes of many traffic crashes, but impaired driving, whether under the influence of alcohol or drugs, still remains a significant threat to traffic safety. In spite of all the public service messages on the dangers of impaired driving, our police officers continue to see drivers operating vehicles recklessly and dangerously when the drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

[Recently], Officer Adam Stier pulled over a vehicle for failing to move over for an emergency vehicle. The driver was found to be under the influence and to be over twice the legal limit for intoxication. The driver was arrested and jailed and the vehicle was towed and impounded.

On the same night just a short time later, Officer Jai Hanson clocked a vehicle traveling 98 MPH in a posted 55 MPH zone. Officer Hanson stopped the speeding vehicle and the driver was also found to be under the influence of alcohol. This driver was also found to be over twice the legal limit for intoxication. The driver was arrested and jailed also.

Later the same night, Officer Anna Limbeck stopped a vehicle for speeding at 84 MPH and found that the driver appeared to be under the influence. The driver failed a field sobriety test, arrested and a subsequent test confirmed that the driver was over the legal limit for intoxication. Drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana were also found in the vehicle by the officers, prior to it being impounded. The driver was booked and released pending formal criminal charges.

These three DUI arrests, just a short time apart on a Monday night demonstrate how dangerous impaired driving is for the rest of us out on the roadway. Whether not moving over for an emergency vehicle with its emergency lights on or speeding excessively, it is scary to think that impaired drivers are operating these vehicles. When I look at these DUI arrests, it is a reminder that we need to all drive defensively and report vehicles being operated recklessly or dangerously.

THE UNTOLD CHALLENGES OF POLICE WORK

Even if you do not consider the thousands of officers who are injured every year as victims of felonious assault or in traffic crashes, police work is dangerous work that presents all manner of hazards. Police officers work outside all year long and that factor alone can present some hazards that people don’t often think about. Searching for suspects or evidence through densely wooded areas can expose officers to all sorts of natural animal and insect hazards. Sergeant Jay Castonguay reported that Officer Jason Jensen removed 17 wood ticks from his clothing after walking through the woods on a call one night this week. The officers working with Officer Jensen on his shift thought that was probably an LPD record.

WEEKLY LPD SNAPSHOT

Sampling of LPD activity for the week of June 13 – 20, 2013:

Traffic crashes 9 Alarms 20 Animal Calls 51

Medical Emergency Calls 29 Thefts 30 Traffic Stops 185