Police traffic enforcement has resulted in 13 DUI arrests since last Monday, 16 July. Ten of those arrests occurred over the weekend, between Friday morning, 20 July, and Monday morning, 23 July. Twenty-six traffic collisions were also reported during that same weekend.

In five of these DUI incidents, persons were arrested with blood alcohol content over twice the legal limit.

In one incident shortly after 11:00PM on Saturday, 21 July, officers on patrol on the Linford Pierson Highway observed a vehicle which appeared to be having difficulty remaining in one lane. Officers pulled up alongside the vehicle and instructed the driver to pull over, and the driver stopped the vehicle while still in the roadway. Officers again instructed the driver to pull off to the side of the road and when the driver attempted to do so he drove the car up onto the curb. The driver, who was then asked to exit the vehicle, appeared unsteady on his feet and slurred his words. He was also unable to provide a driver’s license. The man, age 52 of George Town, was then breathalyzed with a result of 0.239% and arrested on suspicion of DUI. It was later determined that the man’s license had expired in 2012 and he was further arrested on suspicion of driving without being qualified. He was later bailed.

In another incident shortly after 2:00AM on Saturday, officers on patrol on Esterley Tibbetts Highway observed a stationary vehicle which had mounted the median just south of the Cost-U-Less roundabout. A woman was observed to be asleep in the car, which was still running. The woman regained consciousness and became very aggressive towards officers. While officers were in the process of detaining her, the woman began to act extremely disorderly and assaulted two of the officers, one of whom sustained lacerations to his face and head. The woman, age 25 of West Bay, was arrested on suspicion of DUI, disorderly conduct, and assaulting police.

Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, 17 July, at about 8:15AM, officers responded to a report of a two vehicle traffic collision near the Cayman National roundabout. One of the drivers, a man age 50 of George Town, who appeared to be intoxicated, was breathalyzed with a reading of 0.297% and arrested on suspicion of DUI. He was later bailed.

“We are continuing to see far too many persons who not only choose to drive while under the influence, but choose to do so with a blood alcohol level over twice, and sometimes three times, the legal limit,” said Chief Inspector Everton Spence, who oversees the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit. “This is unacceptable, and we will continue to prosecute anyone driving under the influence, no matter what day of the week or time of day they choose to do so.”

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IMAGE: FILE