The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office has announced that it will be receiving a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to address impaired driving.
The grant comes as county fatal DUI numbers remain at an all-time high.
The office said that last year, 32 people were killed in 29 crashes related to driving under the influence. As of November 2024, 25 people have been killed in 20 DUI-related crashes.
Data shows that the number of young drivers involved in such crashes has increased in the last year; prosecutors say that more than half of the individuals charged with DUI homicides in 2024 were between 18 and 26 at the time of the crash.
The grant will allow the DA’s DUI Homicide Unit to continue its work, including education and prevention efforts within the community.
“I am grateful our office has continued to receive this grant that allows our specialized team of prosecutors and investigators to hold offenders accountable and work to deter impaired driving,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement.
“Every year we have an unacceptable amount of fatal DUIs.”
The unit, which launched in 2014, creates uniformity in sentencing among courthouses and helps law enforcement adapt to changes in technology by having a designated DA Investigator who is trained in the latest techniques in collision reconstruction.
Funding will also be used to educate young drivers, provide training for prosecutors and investigators, and more.
In 2023, the District Attorney’s Office filed 3,916 DUI cases, including 234 drug cases. The DA’s Office has filed 4,389 DUI cases — including 280 drug cases — as of the end of Sept. 2024.
Funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety is provided through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant program runs through September 2025.
