House stops speeding drunk driver

River Falls police dragged a bleeding 58-year-old local man away from a house he crashed into at 701 S. Main St. shortly after dark Friday. The collision caused the house’s water pipes to leak into the basement. There was also concern a gas line had ruptured that could trigger an explosion. The man, eastbound on Park Street in a 2004 Mazda Tribute before making his errant turn, was taken to the hospital. He was later cited for drunk driving.

Officers diverted traffic around the crash site at Main and Park streets. Firefighters were called in to make sure the gas lines were secured.

The driver had apparently turned at full speed into the driveway of the house before hitting it. He was found outside his SUV, leaning against a tree with a bloody gash across his forehead.

Occupants in homes on either side of the house that was hit were evacuated.

The driver allegedly admitted right away he had been drinking. An empty whiskey bottle was found on the floor of his SUV.

River Falls police also:

--Chased an 18-year-old UW-RF freshman student in a stolen car who was allegedly speeding and had already hit a parked car. The pursuit began last Thursday after 3 a.m. The 18-year-old man was first seen speeding west on Cascade Avenue in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am.

The unlocked car with keys inside was allegedly stolen near Junior’s Bar downtown. The owner was a female college student who works at Junior’s.

Because of the high speeds on Spring, Sixth, Hazel and other residential streets, police couldn’t safely catch their suspect driver. In the area of Eighth and Hazel streets he did finally lose control, go over a curb and stop.

He then tried crawling out of the driver’s side window and fell to the pavement. Ordered to stop, he ran instead.

An officer gave chase on foot and brought the suspect down. The officer was hurt in the spill and hit in the face by the suspect who got up and got away.

Campus police and sheriff’s deputies responded to help with the search. A police dog from St. Croix County finally sniffed out the suspect who was hiding behind a large tree in someone’s back yard.

The suspect was handcuffed face down and brought to the police station.

There, it was learned he was a college student. He told police that he had come from an off-campus house party, was abducted at gunpoint near North Hall and forced by a mysterious gunman to drive around town.

Fearing for his life, the student said he did as he was told. At some point the gunman, who was the front-seat passenger, slipped out of the car and fled.

Police say they found no evidence for the existence of such a gunman.

The UW-RF student was eventually cited for drunk driving and faces criminal charges for fleeing, battery to an officer, obstruction and driving without an owner’s consent. He was taken to county jail in Ellsworth.

The injured River Falls police officer will miss work until at least Nov. 22.

--Arrested an 18-year-old student from St. Cloud State University for drunk driving at West Cascade Avenue and Falls Street by the bridge at 4:15 a.m. Sunday. The man apparently lost control while rounding the curve near the bridge, crossed the road, slammed over a curb and ended up in a front yard at 233 W. Cascade Ave.

Police found the man and his 1997 Ford Mustang, hood up, horn blaring, in the parking lot of the city power plant.

The man was described as stumbling around but he denied drinking. After being given field sobriety tests, the man was arrested and given an $812.50 fine.

Unable to find a sober adult to pick him up, the man was taken to county jail in Ellsworth.

For more, please read Police Beat in the Nov. 16 print edition of the River Falls Journal.

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Something has to be done about Drunk Driving

'Something has to be done,' Solicitor General says as drunk driving charges laid in Calgary double-fatality

Two people died early Sunday after a high-speed crash in northeast Calgary allegedly involving an impaired driver.

Police have charged a 23-year-old man with impaired driving causing death in connection with the crash on McKnight Boulevard N.E. at Deerfoot Trail.

The victims were a 27-yearold man and 24-year-old woman inside a westbound Dodge Avenger that was stopped for a red light when a Lexus GS300 plowed into the back of their car.

The driver of the Dodge was killed in the impact, which pushed the car more than 50 metres. The woman died in hospital a short time later.

Police said the Lexus travelled an additional 30 metres before coming to a stop.

Police at the scene arrested the driver of the Lexus, who wasn't injured.

A 24-year-old passenger in the vehicle suffered only minor injuries.

Their names haven't been released.

Ryan Thomas Kramer, 23, has been charged with two counts each of impaired driving causing death, driving over .08 causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.

The crash is the second multiple fatality involving alcohol in Calgary the span of a week and comes as the provincial government mulls tougher penalties for impaired drivers.

Alberta's solicitor general said impaired driving has been a persistent problem for years.

"This is not a knee-jerk reaction. It's an ongoing issue, and I think something has to be done about it," Jonathan Denis said Sunday.

Alcohol-related deaths have been decreasing in Alberta but still made up a significant portion of the 351 traffic fatalities recorded in 2010.

Among those, Alberta Transportation reported 90 drivers had been drinking prior to the crash - 57 of whom were legally impaired. That number represents a 25 per cent decline since 2007.

In the past year, however, neighbouring B.C. has logged a 50 per cent decline in alcohol-related fatalities since introducing tough administrative penalties targeting impaired drivers.

B.C.'s administrative rules impose penalties for drivers with a bloodalcohol concentration above .05 but below the criminal standard of .08.

Drivers who register within that range can be subject to a 72-hour licence suspension and pay fines and associated fees totalling more than $600. The suspensions and fines increase for drivers repeatedly caught within that range.

Between October 2010 and July 2011, B.C. recorded 49 alcohol-related fatalities, down from an average of 93 deaths over the same period in the past five years.

"Something obviously is working when you have such a marked reduction," Denis said.

Denis, Justice Minister Verlyn Olson and Transportation Minister Ray Danyluk were given mandate letters from Premier Alison Redford last week instructing them to develop administrative penalties targeting impaired drivers.

While B.C.'s measures have attracted significant attention, Denis said the government is looking for a "made in Alberta" regimen that incorporates what works best in B.C. and other provinces.

B.C.'s legislation has drawn criticism from civil libertarians because of the heavy penalties it imposes against motorists who haven't exceeded the criminal threshold and the limited avenues of appeal available to drivers.

Denis said Alberta is looking at a fair appeals process and the intent of the legislation isn't to target drivers "who have a glass of wine with a meal."

Current provincial traffic regulations allow police to issue 24-hour suspensions against drivers who appear impaired but do not exceed the legal limit of .08.

However, the current law has no method of sanctioning drivers who habitually rack up 24-hour suspensions - new administrative penalties akin to B.C.'s would address that loophole, said Denis.

"We're after the people who persistently drink and drive," he said.

"I feel there should be some escalation in the penalties."

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Drunk driver ran over girlfriend as she slept during camping trip

A drunk man who took his girlfriend's car then ran her over as she slept in a tent during a camping trip was ordered to carry out community service.

David Owen left Louise Graham with burns to her arm, hand and stomach that needed skin grafts and months of treatment leaving her permanently scarred in St Andrews, Fife.

After he ran her over, Owen demanded that none of the group on the beach camping trip phone an ambulance because he was scared police might get involved.

Sheriff Charlie Macnair QC opted not to jail Owen, who has previous convictions for housebreaking, assault, breach of the peace and theft.

On Thursday the 21-year-old, who was released from a four-month jail term for stealing a case of beer from a Co-op store in Cupar last week, was placed on probation for two years and ordered to do 250 hours community service.

An earlier trial at Cupar Sheriff Court heard Ms Graham was forced to drive back to Owen's home in Dairsie, near Cupar, Fife, where an ambulance was eventually called to rush her to hospital.

A jury heard how Ms Graham had driven Owen, his sister Emma and his friend Andrew McKenna to West Sands, which sits adjacent to the world famous Old Course.

She told how she fell asleep while Owen and the rest of the group sat drinking cider outside. She said she then woke up to find the car on top of her.

Ms Graham described how she woke up feeling like she was “suffocating and burning" as the car was on top of her.

Owen, of Station Road, Dairsie, Fife, denied that on October 8 or 9, 2008 he took Ms Graham's car without permission. He further denied culpably and recklessly driving it over her while under the influence of alcohol to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

But the jury of nine men and six women took 40 minutes to find him guilty of both charges.

Owen's lawyer told the court that Owen wanted to put his life of crime behind him - and settle down with new girlfriend Gemma McHugh after becoming step-father to her four-year-old son.

Paddy O'Dea, defending, added: "He was released from his previous sentence on June 11. He is now in part-time employment in the construction industry and is living with his partner."

Sheriff Charlie Macnair told Owen: "The jury found you guilty of two charges of taking a vehicle without consent and of culpable and reckless conduct that resulted in serious injury and permanent disfigurement to your then girlfriend.

"Had you deliberately ran her over then I would have been sentencing you to a very lengthy period in prison.

"But this is not the case - and having regard to the nature of the conduct I consider that I'm just able to deal with this by way of a non-custodial sentence."

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Drunken Driver Hit Boy, Picked Up Hubcap, Left

DENVER -- Charges have been filed against a woman accused of hitting a boy on a bicycle with her car, then driving away.

Prosecutors said Brittany Gonzales, 21, was driving drunk when she hit a 11-year-old boy on a bicycle at Irving Street and Dakota Avenue on Saturday.

Gonzales is accused of stopping her car to pick up a hubcap, then driving away without reporting the crash or helping the boy, prosecutors said.

Police said they found Gonzales' car and arrested her later a short time later.
Gonzales is charged with vehicular assault, child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of an accident and DUI, prosecutors said.

She was released from jail on a $50,000 bond.

The boy was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. He was still hospitalized on Wednesday when the charges were filed.

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Ryan Dunn's Car Crash Reconstruction, Drunk Driving at Over 130 MPH

Ryan Dunn was traveling at a speed exceeding 130 miles per hour, Pennsylvania police have concluded in their preliminary investigation into the crash that killed him early Monday morning. According to CNN, not only does the crash reconstruction investigation show an excessive rate of speed but preliminary tests indicate that the "Jackass" star was also far past the legal alcohol limit when he got behind the wheel of his black Porsche.

In a statement issued Wednesday, West Goshen Police Chief Michael Carroll said, "The initial crash reconstruction investigation determined that Mr. Dunn's vehicle was traveling between 132-140 mph at the time of the collision."

Carroll also noted that the toxicology tests conducted by the coroner indicated that Dunn's blood alcohol content was 0.196 percent, which is more than twice the state level of legal intoxication (0.8 percent). The coroner, who issued a preliminary autopsy report Tuesday, also found that the violence of the car crash left him unable to determine which killed the 34-yar-old Dunn and his 30-year-old passenger, Zachary Hartwell -- blunt force trauma or the nearly instantaneous fire that engulfed the Porsche subsequent to the crash.

West Goshen Police were called to the scene of a fiery crash outside of West Chester, Pennsylvania, at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. The police report revealed that responding officers found a single car crashed alongside the highway and "engulfed" in flames. Dunn, who police said was driving the car, was identified by tattoos and the fact that the car was registered in his name. Hartwell was not immediately identified.

The story of the "Jackass" star's death immediately made headline news and set off a firestorm of traffic on the Internet. Besides words of condolences and support for the families of Dunn and Hartwell, the age-old argument against the dangers of drinking and driving became the topic of the day, sparked by a picture of Dunn, Hartwell, and another man drinking in a bar that was posted to Dunn's Twitter account about two hours prior to the crash.

Dunn, easily singled out from the "Jackass" crew by his signature beard, rose to fame through the MTV reality series "Jackass" and the following movie franchise. At the time of his death, he was involved in a series project on the G4 Channel called "Proving Ground," a show dedicated to recreating iconic scenes and events from various media sources (television, movies, video games) in a real world setting to see if they could be done. The show debuted on June 14. Upon news of his death, TMZ reported that the G4 Channel canceled future scheduled shows.

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CHP says driver in fatal crash was very drunk

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Investigators say the California driver of a car that flipped, killing two passengers, had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal driving limit.

San Luis Obispo County prosecutors say 21-year-old Evan Alexander Green, a Chico State University student, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, drunken driving and driving without a license.

The California Highway Patrol says Green lost control of his 2004 Saturn automobile early Friday and rolled his car on an Avila Beach roadway, killing 21-year-old Marcus Alex Nelson of Castro Valley and 21-year-old Aaron Beaver of Eureka.

The San Luis Obispo County Tribune says two tests showed Green's blood-alcohol levels were 0.245 and 0.232 percent. California's legal limit for driving is 0.08.

Green is free on $150,000 bail pending a July 11 hearing.

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Accident reenactment in West Milford is reality check

Reenactment of a 2009 auto accident caused by a driver who was under the influence of alcohol, gave West Milford High School juniors and seniors a reality check days before this year’s prom and graduation events. The mock accident on June 1 in a high school parking lot created a somber scene with grief-stricken and pensive students watching in deafening silence. About 100 participants, mostly volunteers, were involved in the presentation.

The wailing sirens of police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency responders, the sound of the approaching North Star Medivcac helicopter and finally the silent arrival of a hearse from Richard’s funeral home stunned the hundreds of students seated along the curb surrounding the parking lot.

The participants were equipped with wireless microphones, provided by Tom and Jerry Sconamilio, owners of The Music Den in Butler. The high school sound crew facilitating the sound included Ryan Hanenberg, Mark Lydecker, Keith Meola, Justin Chandler, Alex DeLaura and Ian O’Loughlin.

Before going to the mock accident scene the students saw a film filmed and edited by student Harry Fontan. It began with high school student actors Steve Kuchenruther, Jake Korinko, Meg Marino and Jackie Dougert having drinks before getting into a car to go to their prom. The crash and the chilling aftermath scene in the parking lot followed.

"Since a drunk driver crashed into my car every part of my life has been impacted and I am reminded of it every day," said Diane Sidoli.

She was one of several speakers who gave messages to the students. Sidoli uses a wheel chair as a result of loss of both of her legs after a drunk driver crashed into her car as she drove home from work.

This is the third time that a graduation-prom time drunk-driving related auto accident has been demonstrated at the high school, creator Peter Anzelone told Aim West Milford. He said the reenactment is held every two years. Anzelone is assistant principal and supervisor of health and physical education.

Hearing of the program in other schools, Anzelone observed presentations and then modified them for use in West Milford.

"We try to drive the point home as to what happens when people do not make good decisions," said Anzelone. "We try to burn it in the students’ brains to not get behind the wheel if they have been drinking."

"We, as a faculty, feel the loss of a student as well as their family and friends do," Anzelone told the students. "We care about each and every one. Take care of each other!"

"Police Officer Joseph Nevin has helped tremendously with this production," said Anzelone.

He also noted the cooperation and help from Acting Police Chief Gene Chiosie and Officers Anthony Parrello and Jill Brickman (West Milford High School graduates), Officer John Pescenti, in charge of Juvenile Protection, and School Principal Maureen Bernstock.

In introducing the program Guidance Counselor Don Heaney said the emergency responders volunteered their time to demonstrate the chaotic chain of events that occurs during an accident. He said that, unfortunately, the first responders too often have performed the tasks they were demonstrating.

"This presentation is not meant for your entertainment," said Heaney. "The reality is that these alcohol related accidents have happened in many places. I am sad to report that these preventable accidents have taken the lives of West Milford’s own. Do not dismiss this mock accident as ridiculous and say, ‘This won’t happen to me.’"

"In a few days you will be participating in the most important rituals of high school life," said Heaney. "High School graduation and attendance at the prom, for many, may involve drinking either before or after these events. More than likely someone who has had too much to drink will get behind the wheel of a car and drive."

"You should know that alcohol is associated with the leading cause of death among teen automobile crashes," said Heaney. "Although nearly one-third of all teen driving fatalities and injuries involve the use of alcohol, these rates shoot up around prom and graduation weekend, according to statistics on the Mothers Against Drunk Driving website. During prom weekends approximately 60 percent of all automobile facilities involve the use of alcohol."

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Trooper Hit By Drunk Driving Suspect While On Separate DUI Stop

AUBURN, Washington -- A Washington State Patrol trooper was injured when a car struck his parked cruiser on State Route 167 early Saturday morning.

The trooper had stopped a woman at about 3 a.m. just south of 37th Street on SR 167 in Auburn and arrested her on suspicion of DUI, the State Patrol said. While the trooper was parked on the shoulder of the highway and waiting for a tow truck with his emergency lights on, another vehicle drove into the back of his cruiser.

The trooper suffered minor injuries and was taken to Auburn Hospital, the State Patrol said. The woman from the original traffic stop, a 36-year-old from Auburn, and the woman who collided with the police cruiser, a 24-year-old Auburn woman, both suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Both women were arrested on DUI charges.

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Drunk driver sentenced to eight and a half years for killing Decatur seniors

The driver that killed two teenagers three days before their graduation from Decatur High School last spring will be spending the next eight and a half years in prison.

Alexander E. Peder was sentenced to 102 months Friday afternoon by King County Superior Court Judge James Cayce for two counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence after killing Decatur seniors Derek King, 18, and Nicholas Hodgins, 18, on June 9, 2010. The driver of the car, Anthony Beaver, also a Decatur senior, survived.

“These three young men were supposed to be launching into adulthood,” said King County Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim during the sentencing hearing. “This was their last day of high school, but only one would survive the day.”

Frieedheim, along with Peder and his attorney, John Wolfe, recommended to Cayce for the maximum sentence possible, which was the 102 months he received.

Peder’s sentencing range included a pair of two-year enhancements for two prior DUI-related convictions. He was convicted of first-degree negligent driving in 1998 and of reckless endangerment in 2008 after pleading down both alchohol-related incidents.

After entering a plea of not guilty immediately following the crash, Peder flipped and plead guilty on the two counts of vehicular homicide in February.

"I accept full and complete responsibility for my reckless actions," Peder said Friday. "Today, I'm here to face their families and friends. I'm sincerely sorry for the pain and suffering I have caused them. I selfishly choose to drink and drive that evening. I wish I could turn back the hands of time."

King, Hodgins and Anthony Beaver were driving south on Interstate 5, coming home after a celebration for their high school graduation in Bellevue with several other Decatur seniors.

“Our boys were doing everything right that night,” said Mary Bobbitt, Hodgins’ mother. “They were great kids spending time with their friends and so looking forward to graduation.”

Peder, who was also injured in the crash, was taken to Harborview, released a few hours later, then arrested and taken to King County Jail.

According to the trooper’s report, Peder had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and “spoke with a thick tongue.” There was alcohol on his breath when he spoke.

In light of this, before being taken to the hospital, troopers had medics draw blood to test blood-alcohol levels. Toxicology reports showed Peder’s blood alcohol level to be .16 percent.

According to the charging papers filed Monday, there was also a small amount of marijuana and a pipe in the Explorer.

This was not Peder’s first DUI. In 1998, the charge was amended to negligent driving and his sentence was deferred after Peder showed proof of completing a DUI victims panel and getting an alcohol evaluation. In 2008, he was arrested for a DUI; this time the charge was amended to reckless endangerment, and Peder was given a two-year suspended sentence. He is still on suspension for that last DUI offense.

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Somerville man arraigned for drunk driving tragedy on McGrath Highway Read more: Somerville man arraigned for drunk driving tragedy on McGrath Highwa

The one-car accident on the McGrath Highway overpass around 3:30 a.m. Friday morning reminded State Police Trooper Aleksandro Fontes of a “combat zone.”

The scene was dripping in blood and chunks of brain matter were visible in the white Chevrolet Malibu and stuck to one of the young men’s T-shirts, he recalled. One of the young women was already dead and another would die days later. The other three passengers were in shock, and the driver was screaming and pulling at his hair, sitting on the curb.

Somerville resident Kenneth Belew, 21, has been charged with two counts of motor vehicular homicide, negligent operation, operating under the influence of liquor and speeding.

On Monday, dozens of Belew’s friends and supporters turned out for his arraignment at Somerville District Court, but Belew decided to spend the hearing in the court’s jail. He was held on $5,000 cash bail.

According to Fontes’ report, Belew drove with his 21-year-old friend Jerry Altidor to a house party thrown by Rudolph Reis, a 20-year-old Somerville resident whose parents were out of town. Reis told Belew that he and three young women wanted a ride to McDonalds after the party, and Belew agreed to give them a ride.

Reis’ girlfriend Isabela Da Silva sat in the backseat on his lap and Mayara Alves, a young woman who had run away from her home four months earlier, was on 19-year-old Rafaela Pereira’s lap, according to reports. At the request of prosecutors, the names of the two deceased women have been redacted from the police report, but authorities identified them later in the day.

When they first got into the car, Pereira said he thought Belew was sober enough to drive, but on the roughly 2-mile journey to the McDonalds near Brickbottom, Belew was driving too fast and changing lanes erratically, Pereira told police.

Then on the McGrath Highway overpass above Washington Street, Belew suddenly slammed on the brakes and car spun out, slamming into the concrete sidewall. The teens who had been sitting on laps were not wearing seatbelts and were killed by the impact, though one survived in grave condition for a few days at Massachusetts General Hospital.

When Fontes arrived at the scene, Reis was covered in blood holding one unconscious woman with another unconscious woman next to him. Altidor was staring up at the sky with chunks of what appeared to be brain matter on his shirt, according to Fontes’ report.

Belew was sitting on the curb, bleeding from the head with two swollen eyes, screaming and pulling at his hair.

“I was driving and I am drunk! I am responsible for her death. Please take me to jail. That’s what I deserve,” Belew was yelling, according to Fontes. After he was read his Miranda rights, however, Belew did not give police a statement and kept demanding to be taken directly to jail.

Altidor later told police that Belew had drank at least three or four shots and split a pitcher of beer.

Before leaving the Magoun Square party around 3 a.m., 21-year-old Cassandra Corona spoke to Belew and said he told her he would walk home, because he lives nearby on Fiske Avenue, Corona said in an interview outside the courtroom.

“He said, ‘Why would I drive when I can walk right around the corner,’” Corona said. She described him as a generous person, who she said had acted responsibly by limiting himself to one drink when driving, on a recent occasion. “Kenny’s the type of person who doesn’t say ‘no’ to anybody.”

Belew has a history of car-related troubles, dating back to a year-and-a-half after receiving his license according to court and Registry of Motor Vehicles records. Not including his most recent charges, Belew has 40 entries on his driving history, dating back to January 2008.

In May 2008, Belew was busted for running a red light on Broadway, around midnight and for driving with a suspended license. The officer noted that there were blunt cigars – often used to smoke marijuana – and Belew’s eyes were bloodshot, but he did not face an operating under the influence charge.

A little more than a month later, Belew was again busted for driving with a suspended license, in Union Square. In both cases he pleaded there were sufficient facts to prove him guilty.

Mark Moss, a Billerica man, whose son and nephew are close friends with Belew said the young man described him as generous, smart and had demonstrated responsible behavior in regards to drinking. When Belew turned 21 on April 10, he hit the town but left his car behind, Moss said. In another instance, Belew had called Moss to tell him his son would be spending the night because he had too much to drink.
“This kid Kenny is a super nice kid,” said Moss at the courthouse Monday morning. “I don’t know why he got in a car that night.”

A 2008 graduate of Somerville High School, Belew had worked at a restaurant and a security company, and was attending Bunker Hill Community College fulltime, said his court-appointed attorney Emily Karstatter.

In his high school yearbook, Belew wrote that he wants to be an engineer; Moss said he was hoping to become a lawyer. Karstetter said he hoped to transfer to the University of Massachusetts.

Less than three weeks before the accident, Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone made a presentation at SHS about the dangers of drunk driving. None of the passengers were current SHS students, according to the school’s Twitter.

Grief counseling is available at the high school but no specific announcement was made about the tragic accident, city spokesman Jackie Rossetti said. School Committee member Mark Niedergang said he is at a loss for what could be done to prevent drunk driving tragedies from happening in the future.
Moss was similarly frustrated as he comforted others who had turned out for Belew’s arraignment.
“It’s a tragedy for everyone. I just can’t imagine how he’s going to get through this,” said Moss. “We preach to these kids about drinking and driving…”
Belew, a slim 5-foot 10-inch tall man with close-cropped black hair, according to his booking sheet, is due back in court on May 17 for a pre-trial conference.


Read more: Somerville man arraigned for drunk driving tragedy on McGrath Highway - Somerville, Massachusetts 02144 - Somerville Journal http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/archive/x215604794/Somerville-man-arraigned-for-drunk-driving-tragedy-on-McGrath-Highway#ixzz1KdfxsWCy

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Drunk driver collides with police car

A 20-year-old man was arrested for impaired driving after crashing his vehicle into a police cruiser in Winnipeg on Thursday morning.

The marked police cruiser was at the intersection of Bison Drive and Markham Road in the Waverley Heights neighbourhood just after 3 a.m.

A speeding car ran a red light and struck the cruiser.

The two officers inside were transported to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The 20-year-old man is facing charges of impaired driving causing bodily harm (two counts) and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08.

He was released from custody on a promise to appear in court.

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Drunk driver jailed 10 years for woman's death

Speeding driver ran red light in stolen pickup

CALGARY - There was no satisfaction and no closure for Boniface Pulwicki and his family when the impaired driver who caused a crash that killed his wife was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison.

Pulwicki said the length of the sentence that provincial court Judge Anne Brown meted out to Christopher James Rae on Thursday didn’t really make any difference.

“Justice is one thing, but we’ve had to deal with a huge loss,” a tearful husband said following the sentencing hearing. “Margaret will be missed forever.”

When asked what he thought about Rae now that the court process is complete, he said: “He has to deal with his problems.”

Brown said the crimes, including the crash that killed Malgorzata (Margaret) Pulwicki, 57, on Dec. 27, 2009, occurred when the offender was in the midst of an amphetamine addiction.

Rae, 27, was behind the wheel of a stolen truck travelling at more than 80 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on 20th Ave. N.W. when he ignored a red light and broadsided the Pulwickis’ 2003 Saturn at 10th St.

Margaret Pulwicki, a passenger in the left back seat of the vehicle being legally driven by her 14-year-old son Robert on the way to church, absorbed the majority of the impact. She died a short time later in hospital.

The family, which immigrated from Poland in 1979, said previously that just as they had stabilized their lives, “everything was toppled by the careless actions of a stranger.”

Brown gave Rae five years and five months for criminal negligence causing death and another 15 months for leaving the scene of a fatal crash.

She cited a “lengthy criminal record, related driving record, the escalating dangerous behaviour and the reckless driving” as aggravating factors in determining the sentence on the most serious of the offences.

She also gave him five months concurrent for leaving the scene of an accident with a second vehicle he struck, and 11 months concurrent for possession of the stolen vehicle he was driving.

As well, Rae was sentenced to 30 months consecutive for stealing $100,000 in what the judge called a “smash-and-grab” at a jewelry store on Aug. 14, 2009, and 10 months consecutive for robbing two clerks at a separate jewelry store on Sept. 3, 2009.

From the total sentence, Brown gave Rae double credit for 15 months already spent in remand, reducing his sentence to be served to seven years and five months.

She also prohibited Rae from driving for seven years after he is released from prison and banned for life from owning or possessing any firearms or other weapons.

Prosecutor Mike Ewenson had sought a total of 10 to 14 years. Defence lawyer Joan Blumer argued for six to nine years for all of the offences.

“My initial calculation ... resulted in a global sentence of 11 years,” Brown said. “Although I had already given some consideration to the totality effect of the sentence by making the possession of stolen property sentence concurrent, I then further reduced the sentence to 10 years.

“I made the reduction to reflect society’s desire to see Mr. Rae address his addictions by rehabilitation and thereby end his dangerous behaviour.”

Brown said the final word should go to the victim’s family and quoted from their victim impact statement:

“In many families losing a mother means losing the strongest link holding everyone together. Undoubtedly, this has happened in our case too. But it would be an even greater loss – in fact, an insult to what our family has worked to achieve — to let ourselves be broken up by the greatest of tragedies. Our hope is that the biggest impact on our family won’t be the heartbreak or the exhaustion of finding a new way to live, but to stay together, just like our mom, wife and friend would have wanted.”

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

'Drunk driver' slams into fence

A DRUNK driver hit a parked car, mounted a kerb and then slammed into a fence in North Bondi, police allege.
The five-year-old daughter of the driver was in the back seat at the time.
The incident happened at the junction of Clyde and Justus streets about 11.40am yesterday.
Police arrested the driver, a 47-year-old woman, who allegedly recorded a breath test reading of 0.197. The legal limit is 0.5.
She was charged with high-range drink driving, had her licence suspended and is due to front Waverley Local Court on May 24.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Man taken to hospital after deputies say he crashed while drunk driving

EAU CLAIRE (WEAU) - Trempealeau County deputies say a drunk driver had to be taken to the hospital after crashing.

It happened Monday afternoon in Trempealeau. Deputies say Steven Wroblewski, 55, went into the ditch, hit a post and kept on driving. That's when officers say he missed a stop sign, went into another ditch and got stuck in a field. Deputies say he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and arrested for 4th offense OWI.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Covina man pleads guilty in fatal drunk driving crash

A 28-year-old Covina man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of murder that stem from a drunken driving crash, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Alan Michael McConnell faces 15 years to life in prison when he returns to court for sentencing April 22, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Telassie Dague, 22, and Renee Hardy, 20, both of Alta Loma died in the Jan. 23, 2010 crash. They were passengers in the car McConnell was driving.

McConnell lost control of the car and careened into a center divider, according to the DA's Office.

He allegedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.15 and was trying to flee from the scene of a minor collision he had with another car earlier in the evening, according to the DA's Office.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Parents of Brooklyn man killed in DWI crash

The merciful parents of a promising Brooklyn man mowed down by a boozed-up driver asked his killer Thursday to honor their son's legacy by teaching students about the perils of drunken driving.

Michael Ortiz, 22, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and DWI in the 2008 death of Fred Malcolm McCormack, accepting a unique no-jail deal that requires him to speak at 100 high schools.

"Don't let us down," Fred McCormack Sr. told Ortiz during the courtroom appearance. "Make something real good with your life and we will support you."

A tearful Fay McCormack - a Georgia prosecutor who spent her career putting drunken drivers behind bars - told the court how difficult it was to spare the one who took her son's life.

"I wanted to feed him to the dogs," she said, then recalled how her daughter and ex-husband convinced her otherwise.

"I am hoping that with this plea today and with the generosity of my family, [Ortiz] will keep Malcolm's memory," she said.

Ortiz briefly answered the judge's questions in Brooklyn Supreme Court, admitting to drinking two orange liqueurs before getting behind the wheel and hitting McCormack as he crossed a busy East New York boulevard.

"This was a great outcome," said defense lawyer Eric Franz, noting that prosecutors had a weak case because his client showed no evidence of intoxication after the crash, but instead called 911 and remained at the scene.

As part of the deal, Ortiz must attend 50 meetings with relatives of drunken-driving victims and must sit down with the McCormacks after the hearing, when he tearfully apologizes. If he completes the program, his felony will be expunged.

Speaking in court before her parents, Francia McCormack Wilson portrayed her brother, who died at 28, as a gifted musician, a computer whiz and aspiring lawyer all rolled into one.

"Justice to me," she concluded, "is seeing Michael honoring my brother by teaching people how to be better."

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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.

Gulfport police chief's stepdaughter struck, killed by alleged drunk driver

A Gulfport man faces a charge of DUI causing death following an accident Tuesday that killed Deanna Tucker, the stepdaughter of Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford.

Tucker, 29, was loading her young child into her car when she was struck by another car driven by 26-year-old Darryl Edward Blappert and pinned between the two vehicles, authorities said Wednesday.

Tucker died about 11 p.m. Tuesday following surgery at Gulfport Memorial Hospital, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said.

Blappert was originally charged with driving under the influence and taken to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, Papania said.

That charge was upgraded Wednesday morning to DUI causing death, Papania said.

Blappert's bail was set at $1 million, and he remained in the county jail Wednesday.

Tucker's son, about 4 years old, suffered minor injuries, officials said.

According to Deputy Chief Leonard Papania, Tucker, of Gulfport, was putting her child in a car seat at the Bridal and Formal Boutique lot at 1524 Pass Road.

Tucker was pinned to her Honda Accord when her car was hit at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday by a 2004 Mustang driven by Blappert, Papania said.

Blappert, of Gulfport, was driving in the westbound lane on Pass Road and left the street near 15th Avenue, Papania said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and the Biloxi Police crash re-creation team were assisting Gulfport Police in the investigation Wednesday, Papania said.

Blappert faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of DUI causing death.

"The Gulfport Police Department has a long history of proactive traffic enforcement," Papania said. "Annually, we set goals aimed at reducing crashes and crashes with injuries. The police department has made tremendous efforts regarding public awareness of the dangers of drunk driving.

"People must take personal responsibility for impairment driving prevention to truly ensure the safety of themselves and others. In tragedy like this, there are great complexities in healing and recovering, while the prevention is so very simple -- don't drink and drive."

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'Glee's' Lea Michele's car accident: Hit by drunk drivers?

This is so not something to sing about.

"Glee" star Lea Michele was on her way home from work at 2 a.m. on Friday morning -- Rachel Berry puts in some seriously late nights -- when her vehicle was hit by another car, her rep confirms to Us. She was driving on Melrose Ave in Hollywood.

Michele pulled over and got out of the car. "Lea was hit and notified the police," says the rep. "She was not injured and is fine."

According to a source, several girls got out of the other car. "A couple of drunk girls hit her, got out of the car, giggled that she was famous, said something like 'are you drunk, too?' Then they drove off." Not cool. Michele jotted down their license plate number and told the authorities.

We're just glad no one was hurt! Also, car accidents have a tendency to be good luck for the "Glee" leading lady - she was in a particularly nasty one right before she auditioned for the role that's made her a household name.

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Beverly man held without bail after alleged drunk driving accidents

A Lynn District Court judge ordered a Beverly man held without bail yesterday after he was arraigned on charges of hitting three cars while under the influence of alcohol, injuring three people.

Mateusz Chruscicki, 34, pleaded not guilty to several charges stemming from his Wednesday night arrest, according to a statement from Steve O'Connell, a spokesman for Essex County District Attorney's office.

According to Essex County Assistant District Attorney Geoffrey Wood, police received several 9-1-1 calls beginning at about 5:40 Wednesday evening that a red Ford 350 pickup truck hit several vehicles while driving southbound on Route 1, the statement said.

When police arrived on scene in Lynnfield, they found two victims in a gray Toyota Camry who suffered injuries from the crash, according to the statement.

After both victims were transferred to Lynn Union Hospital on backboards, the female passenger was released after treatment. The male, who suffered serious chest injuries, was transferred to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, the statement said.

Police then attended to a third victim across the Saugus line, who drove a Toyota Corolla that Chruscicki allegedly struck with enough force to slam him in the left lane's guard rail, spinning his car twice, the statement said. The male victim told police he would seek medical treatment on his own, according to the statement.

Chruscicki also allegedly hit a Chevy sedan, the statement said. The woman driving that car was not hurt, according to the statement.

Immediately after hitting the three cars, Chruscicki crashed his truck into a telephone pole, totaling the vehicle, the statement said. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where police arrested him at about 7 p.m., the statement said.

Police charged Chruscicki with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and a marked lane violation, the statement said.

Chruscicki is scheduled to return to court next Thursday for a dangerousness hearing, according to the statement.

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Fairfax man killed in alleged drunk driving crash

A Fairfax County man, driving on Route 1 near Fort Belvoir Monday night, was killed when another car suddenly stuck his and drove him into oncoming traffic, Fairfax police said Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Paul J. Krause, 54, of Glenbarr Court in Fairfax Station.

Police said the other driver was drunk, and after the crash, he allegedly climbed out of the car with a three-year-old boy and ran away. Police arrested the man a short distance away. He was identified as Carlos Sanchez-Ramos, 31, of Grandview Court in the Springfield area.

Sanchez-Ramos was charged with having a blood-alcohol content of between 0.15 and 0.20, which is roughly twice the legal definition of intoxication in Virginia. In addition to his second driving while intoxicated charge within five years, Sanchez-Ramos also was charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter, driving on an alcohol-related revoked license, child endangerment and two counts of felony hit and run.

Sanchez-Ramos apparently is not in the U.S. legally. A spokesman for the Fairfax County sheriff’s office said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Sanchez-Ramos after he was checked through the federal agency’s Secure Communities program. A spokesman for the immigration agency could not immediately be reached.

Fairfax court records show that Sanchez-Ramos is a native of Honduras. Two sources familiar with the case said he had previously been deported, but ICE officials did not immediately confirm that.

Court records show that in his previous drunk-driving arrest, Sanchez-Ramos also was charged with a blood-alcohol content between 0.15 and 0.20. The breathalyzer sheet shows that Sanchez-Ramos recorded a 0.16 on Nov. 22, 2007.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum five-day jail sentence. But prosecutors agreed to reduce the blood-alcohol content to 0.14, eliminating the jail time.

The three-year-old boy with Sanchez-Ramos was not harmed. It was unclear whether the boy was his son.

Krause was driving a 2010 Ford Fusion north on Richmond Highway near Telegraph Road about 5:22 p.m., Wright said. Police said the driver of a 1994 Honda Civic traveling in the same direction apparently lost control of the Civic and struck the Fusion.

The Fusion then veered into the southbound lanes and was struck head-on by a 2010 Mercedes Benz, police said. Krause was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:44 p.m.

The driver and passenger in the Mercedes, a 77-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman, were taken to a hospital for injuries that are not considered life threatening, police said.

A 31-year-old man who was a passenger in Sanchez-Ramos’s car also received minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. He did not flee the scene, police said.

Court records show that in November 2007, Sanchez-Ramos was charged with drunk driving and driving without a license. Sanchez-Ramos pleaded guilty to both charges in January 2008. He was given a 60-day jail sentence, with all time suspended, a fine of $300 and court costs of $182, a fairly standard sentence in Fairfax for first-time drunk drivers. He was also fined $250, and $11 in court costs, for failing to have a license. He paid the $743 combined total in fines and fees in April 2009.

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