If you’ve lived in Michigan for any length of time, then you know that most holidays in the Great Lakes state are synonymous with both celebrations and DUI crackdowns. That’s right – whether it’s the 4th of July, Christmas, New Years, or St. Patty’s Day – the cops are going to be out looking for people who’re operating while intoxicated. (They look for folks not wearing their seat belts as well, but the biggest offenders are usually drunk drivers.)
As you can imagine, the end of the year is a biggie, and the Christmas/New Years vacation means lots of parties, lots of social events and lots of drinking. Folks here in Michigan love to celebrate. And that means stepped up police patrols and drunk driving crack downs. But now that the holidays are over, the results of the most recent patrols are in, and the numbers are amazing!
More than 200 drunk drivers were arrested!
According to a Michigan State Police report released recently, over the holiday break, police officers made a total of 8,674 traffic stops, issued 883 tickets for speeding, and 84 ticket for car seat infractions, and made no less than 93 felony arrests. But the drunk driving totals were surprisingly high. There were 204 drivers arrested for operating while intoxicated around Michigan.
To quote Michael L. Prince, Director of the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP), “Motorists were asked to make responsible decisions as they celebrated the holidays and to have a plan in place to get home safely. Unfortunately, the holidays were not a merry occasion for everyone.” And he’s right – a lot of Michigan residents spent at least one night in the ‘drunk tank’ this past holiday season.
One drunk driving arrest resulted in a murder charge!
While MSP says there were a number of memorable encounters over the holidays, the one that got the most press was a specific drunk driving arrest that ended with murder charges. A state trooper in Marshall pulled a man over for suspected drunk driving, but found the suspect covered in blood with a handgun in his car. The suspect was drunk and refused to say whose blood was on his clothing.
Later that same night officers were called to the scene of a fire in Battle Creek, where a body was found in the burning building. Detectives say the man had been shot several times before the fire was started. DNA was used to link the victim to the blood found on the drunk driver’s clothing, and he was ultimately charged with homicide.
Drunk driving can result in some very serious charges!
And no, we’re not just talking about the DUI-turned-murder-charge. We’re talking about basic, common drunk and drugged driving charges. Michigan has a growing intolerance for drunk driving, and being charged with this crime can mean some very harsh treatments if you are convicted. That’s not even including the major financial costs you’re going to incur along the way as well. But, don’t give up hope. Drunk driving cases can be won and sometime they are won right here in Michigan. Never presume that getting charged means that you’ll be convicted (unless you’re silly enough to just go plead guilty and not even hire an experienced DUI attorney to advise you.)
So if you get pulled over and accused of driving under influence of alcohol or drugs in Michigan, call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245 (866 7No Jail) immediately and talk to one of our skilled DUI defense attorneys. We’ve been doing this since the last century and we happen to be very good at it – just ask our other clients!
