A total of fourteen drivers were arrested for suspected drunk driving at checkpoints held by law enforcement in Gaslamp and Encinitas.
San Diego Police arrested six drivers on suspicion of drunk driving during a St. Patrick’s Day checkpoint in the Gaslamp area of downtown, and San Diego County Sheriff deputies arrested eight drivers in Encinitas.
SDPD Officers had the checkpoint open from 11 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Saturday in the 1400 block of G Street, a main exit route from the Sham Rock block party that was held downtown, according to Officer Tony Martinez.
Almost 1,700 vehicles went through the checkpoint with 18 people detained, leading to the six arrests, Martinez said. Six vehicles were impounded.
Sheriff’s deputies also screened 878 vehicles at their checkpoint set up in the 1800 block of South Coast Highway 101, according to Brenda Sipley of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. The checkpoint was held from 7:30 p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday.
“The purpose of the checkpoint was to remove impaired and/or unlicensed drivers from the roadway, public education and deterrence to increase the safety of all drivers,” Sipley said.
Of the 878 vehicles screened, 41 were directed to the secondary screening area. Eight drivers were arrested for DUI, five related to alcohol and three with other drugs, Sipley said.
In addition to the arrests, 11 citations were issued. There were three violations for driving with a suspended driver’s license, six violations for unlicensed drivers and two violations for not having insurance.
Sipley said there was also one violation for open container in a vehicle, and one violation for driving out of the parameters of a provisional driver license. There were a total of ten vehicles towed.
Chula Vista police and El Cajon police operated a DUI checkpoint and saturation patrols on Friday night, but the results were not immediately available.
— City News Service