Temecula Crash Kills One, Police Crack Down on DUI

More than 50 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and two fatal DUI-related collisions -- one in Temecula -- occurred during the first days of a holiday crackdown on drunken and drug-impaired driving in Riverside County, authorities said Monday.

The Avoid the 30 task force -- named for the number of participating agencies -- began conducting anti-DUI operations Friday as part of a campaign that will run to Jan. 2.

According to Riverside police Sgt. Skip Showalter, the Avoid coordinator, between Friday morning and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, 53 people were nabbed for allegedly driving while intoxicated. That compares to 160 DUI arrests during the same period in last year's holiday Avoid the 30 anti-DUI crackdown.

"Tragically, there have been two deaths attributed to drunk drivers in our area,'' Showalter said. "The first incident occurred Friday in Temecula, and the second incident occurred yesterday in Coachella. Last year, there was one alcohol-related death during this same period.''

Click this link to read about the fatal crash in Temecula.

Altogether, 30 checkpoints are planned countywide over the next two weeks. Agencies will also be conducting saturation patrols, targeting motorists who may be under the influence.

Operations are scheduled this week in Desert Hot Springs and Moreno Valley, Showalter said.

In December 2009, 57 people in California were killed in alcohol-related collisions. During the winter 2010 Avoid campaign, 593 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, a 6 percent drop from 2009, when 629 DUI suspects were arrested.

Authorities recommended that people planning to drink during holiday festivities designate a sober driver, hire a taxi or use a community sober ride program to get home. Anyone who spots a possible drunken driver was urged to call 911.