Motorist Accused Of Wrong-Way Driving On Christmas: Police

Fredericksburg VA

27 December, 2021

9:35 AM

Description

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — Several motorists around Stafford County were arrested on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day after they were accused of drunken driving, according to report from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. Some of the more notable incidents occurred on Christmas Day itself. One driver was arrested after a deputy claimed to find the driver asleep at the wheel with an open container of alcohol. Another motorist was arrested after a deputy claimed she was driving the wrong way on Jefferson Davis Highway. The first incident was reported to police around 2 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 25. The responding officers arrived in the area of Jefferson Davis Highway and Towne Center Drive, where they found a vehicle stopped at the traffic light. The vehicle was idling, and the driver was asleep behind the steering wheel, authorities claimed. The vehicle was in drive and the driver had his foot on the brake. "The music in the vehicle was loud enough to rattle the car, but the driver continued his catnap," the Stafford County Sheriff's Office wrote in a news release. "After repeated knocks on the window and shining flashlights into the car, the driver woke up." Authorities claimed that the driver also had an open container of alcohol in his hand. After police administered field sobriety tests, the man was charged with driving under the influence and drinking while operating a motor vehicle. He was held on a $5,500 secured bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Another impaired driving incident was reported around 12:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. A Stafford County deputy reported that he was travelling northbound on Jefferson Davis Highway near Landmark Drive, when he was a car driving southbound in the northbound lanes. Authorities said the wrong-way vehicle was in the middle of the road, but was not moving quickly because it had just made a U-turn. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and field sobriety tests before charging the driver with driving under the influence and reckless driving. She was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,500 unsecured bond until sober, the sheriff's office said. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles stated that alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by 37 per cent in the last 30 years. However, statistics show that one in six people will be involved in alcohol-related crash in their lifetime. In 2019, 264 of Virginia's traffic fatalities were related to alcohol, according to the DMV. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 32 per cent of traffic fatalities across the state. Virginia's drunken driving laws are among the harshest in the nation, the DMV said. If a driver is convicted for a first DUI offense, the minimum punishment includes a $250 fine and a revocation of the driver's license for one year. A DUI conviction can also require the installation of an ignition interlock device. Even fighting a DUI conviction can prove to be costly. According to the Virginia DMV, a DUI can cost between $5,000 and $20,000. Across the country, 28 people die in drunken driving crashes every day, according to the DMV. Resources are available for people who are struggling with addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operates a 24/7 hotline that can help people find resources and get the help they need.