Solano CHP Conducts Memorial Day Weekend Enforcement
The Solano area California Highway Patrol (CHP) office reportedly conducted a special increased period of traffic enforcement over the Memorial Day Weekend from Friday, May 22, 2020, until midnight on the following Monday. CHP reported that this increased enforcement is partly being conducted in order to honor and remember the life of two local police officers who both lost their lives during separate reckless driving accidents in Solano County.
Enforcement Efforts
According to CHP public information officers Dave Harvey, the four-day enforcement campaign included a variety of traffic policing tactics. CHP added extra patrol units to their regular number, tasking the additional patrols with specifically finding and arresting drivers under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. In addition to the increased police presence, CHP’s plan also included officers located at key areas across the county as well as a campaign for increased awareness about the dangers of driving while impaired.
Officers Remembered
The two fallen officers CHP is recognizing through this campaign are Gary L. Hughes and Kirk Griess. Hughes lost his life on May 23, 1976, while he was performing a DUI investigation on the westbound side of Highway Interstate 80. Hughes’ vehicle was rammed from behind by an impaired driver, leaving Hughes fatally injured and his partner, Lance Thelen, seriously hurt. Griess tragically passed away much more recently. On August 10, 2018, Griess was conducting a traffic stop, also on westbound I-80, when he was struck by a distracted driver.
Harvey stated that Solano residents can honor the memory of these two men by driving carefully and always having a designated driver if you plan to use an intoxicating substance.
California DUIs
In just the last three years, there have been almost 3,000 deaths caused by alcohol-involved car accidents in the state of California. During this same period, DUI collisions left an additional 80,000 people with injuries that ranged from minor to severe.
Harvey told reporters that many of the people killed or injured during these crashes were “unsuspecting third parties” who had nothing to do with the reckless drivers’ choices, adding that CHP was able to arrest more than 60,000 intoxicated drivers through enforcement efforts conducted during 2018.
Calling an Attorney
When people make the choice to operate a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicating substance, they gamble with the lives of everybody on the road. Drunk drivers are virtually always considered at-fault in the event of an accident and injured parties can often hold these drivers accountable for damages related to the accident. By reaching out to a Vacaville personal injury lawyer and filing a claim, many crash survivors can obtain the money they need to cover medical expenses, property damage, lost income, and other important losses.
Other Blogs from Ed Smith, Vacaville Personal Injury Lawyer
- Rollover Collision in Vacaville Causes Deadly Trauma
- What is a Vacaville Injury Lawyer?
- Serious Crash at Goodwill in Vacaville
Vacaville Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Vacaville personal injury lawyer. Suffering accident injuries is often serious. For free, friendly advice after being hurt in a collision, call me at (800) 404-5400 or (707) 564-1900.
My law firm has worked with individuals in Vacaville for 38 years, helping them claim the payments they deserve. See our verdict and settlement history on this page. Additionally, you can look up my client reviews on the below sites:
I belong to these exclusive groups:
Picture: ab
:ms llo [cs 592]