A suspected drunk driver crashed into a power pole late Thursday night, taking out electricity in the area and causing him to suffer several broken bones, reports The Orange County Register.

Driving a Ford SUV, the allegedly intoxicated driver was heading westbound on Victoria Street at Pacific Avenue when he lost control and took out the pole, according to Sgt. Ron Chamberlin of the Costa Mesa Police Department.

For anyone who has ever had one-too-many Red Bull Vodkas, you know it’s usually not a good idea to mix a stimulant with a depressant.

Regardless of the lack of chemistry between the two, Starbucks has decided that alcohol and coffee are a perfect combination and will be offering beer and wine in select Southern California shops, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The news prompts images of venti beers and grande wines, or, as others have quipped: artisan nachos; fistfights between caffeinated, drunk hippies; and the world’s first $18 Bud Light.

We recently reported on disgraced Long Beach fire captain John David Hines, who was sentenced to one year in prison for felony DUI charges stemming from a severe crash with a bicyclist in April.

But not even the slammer could allegedly stop the former fire captain from getting to the sauce. Huntington Beach police say Hines was caught drunk in jail after drinking hand sanitizer, reports The Orange County Register.

It may be illegal to operate a boat or a personal watercraft while you are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, but you won't lose your driver's license over it.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has agreed to pay $5.6 million to 753 vessel operators for suspending their vehicle driver's licenses because they were convicted of boating under the influence (BUI), reports The Log.

Three-year-old Lany Castillo is struggling to survive major head injuries after a Garden Grove man allegedly drove drunk and crashed into the vehicle she was driving in, reports laist.com.

Twenty-five-year-old Matthew Parker is accused of speeding while under the influence in his Toyota Highlander, running a red light and broadsiding the Toyota Corolla the girl was riding in on Friday afternoon in Whittier.

Lany suffered major head trauma and was airlifted to USC Medical Center, while her grandparents - driver Jorge Garcia and passenger Estella Garcia - were also taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

A suspected drunk driver may have gotten away with causing a crash on the 605 Freeway if it wasn’t for a handful of Good Samaritans, reports the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Los Angeles resident Keith Wardell Jones was reportedly driving 100 miles per hour on the 605 when he crashed into a Honda Pilot, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Instead of following the law, and stopping to trade information with the victims, Jones reportedly tried to flee the scene on foot, according to the Tribune.

Binge drinking - the social sport typically reserved for college campuses - may be more rampant throughout the United States than most of us would expect.

The Center for Disease Control recently released a report finding that more than 38 million adults binge drink alcohol about four times a month, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Although the stereotype that college kids like to binge drink may be true with more young people admitting to the activity, the report found that older people who binge drink do it more often.

In addition to ringing in the New Year, California rang in the addition of approximately 750 new laws to govern its residents. A few of those laws deal specifically with the Golden State's DUI checkpoint process, which has caused some controversy between safety and immigration advocates, reports NBC Southern California.

The new law prohibits police officers from impounding the cars of unlicensed drivers who are caught at DUI checkpoint locations.

Los Angeles may also extend the ban on impounds to all traffic stops, not just DUI checkpoint locations, according to NBC.

Angelo Bowers, a well-known and well-loved comedian on the L.A. comedy scene, was killed in a suspected DUI wreck early Tuesday morning, reports LA Weekly.

The 26-year-old was the only fatality in a two-collision crash caused by a suspected drunk 21-year-old, according to the LAPD. The drunk driver was reportedly involved in a hit-and-run with a taxi near Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue five minutes before smashing into a Jeep that Bowers was riding in.

We warned you that law enforcement would be out in full force over the weekend to make sure New Year’s celebrations stay out of the driver’s seat.

Unfortunately, nearly 250 drivers reportedly didn’t heed our warning and were arrested on suspicion of DUI, reports NBC Los Angeles.

The New Year’s weekend DUI crackdown was conducted by the California Highway Patrol, which reported arresting 248 motorists in Los Angeles County alone. The number represents a nine percent increase from 2010.