July 2012 Archives

Alcohol impairs your judgment. Couple that with a young driver operating a small boxy SUV, and you have a deadly combination, reports the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. An allegedly-intoxicated driver and a passenger survived a perilous plunge this week, while two others in the vehicle, despite wearing safety belts, did not.

According to KTLA Los Angeles, Christine Meng, 22, of San Gabriel reportedly tried to take the eastbound 10 to northbound 710 freeway ramp too quickly in her Toyota Rav4. The petite SUV went over a three foot wall and crashed 100 feet below onto the westbound transition to the southbound 710.

Krayzie Bone, the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony rapper, hip hop luminary, and boyhood hero of a certain blogger, was arrested this morning for driving under the influence, reports the Los Angeles Daily News.

The rapper, born Anthony Henderson, was arrested at about 12:30 a.m. in Woodland Hills. Krayzie Bone was apparently stopped on a routine traffic violation. After discussing the matter with Krayzie, they grew suspicious that he might have been drinking. The rapper allegedly failed a few field sobriety tests and then submitted to a Breathalyzer, which read 0.10.

Citing his wish to focus on football, Oakland Raiders wide receiver (and former first round draft pick) Darrius Heyward-Bey put his DUI case to rest by agreeing to a no contest plea, reports the San Francisco Examiner. As part of the deal, he will face no jail time, three years’ probation, and three months worth of alcohol education classes.

The biggest “bust” since JaMarcus Russell, Heyward-Bey was stopped on April 7 at 2 a.m. after police officers noticed him weaving and speeding on the San Francisco side of the Bay Bridge.

Stephen Caserta, 43, is probably thinking, "What in the hell are the odds of this?" Out of all of the alleged drunk drivers we've covered, he's probably the least lucky. Here he was, cruising along while allegedly intoxicated, when he got rear-ended in a construction zone by another alleged drunk driver, 23-year-old Yocio Gomez, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The collision caused Caserta's Lexus SUV to spin-out and collide with three CalTrans workers, two of whom died. The third, miraculously, only suffered minor injuries.

So, we have an alleged drunk driver that allegedly hit another alleged drunk driver and people died as a result. Bad luck for the Lexus owner, worse luck for the innocent workers that died in the collision.

The duo have each been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The question is, will manslaughter charges follow?

Yesterday, we brought you an analysis of a possible defense to Marshawn Lynch's DUI arrest. His attorney, Ivan Golde, spoke to NFL.com, and his statements are in line with our predicted defense.

There's a better than 50 percent chance he's .06 or .07. Those tests have a margin of error. Science is there to prove it.

NFL.com also interviewed a CHP officer, who stated:

It's certainly possible for someone's blood-alcohol content to increase over time, depending when they started consuming.

So it looks like the rising blood-alcohol defense will be the strategy. If you don't recall the numbers, Lynch tested at 0.08 on a preliminary test in the field and then tested at 0.10 at the station.

As far as criminal violations go, Marshawn Lynch's DUI up in Alameda County is pretty damn irrelevant. Lynch was driving, allegedly swerved back and forth in his lane, and was pulled over. There was no accident, no open container, and questionable blood alcohol results, reports the Associated Press. Plus, it was his first DUI.

So, yeah, it's getting way more attention than it deserves.

Now, Mr. Lynch is no saint. He has a bit of a criminal record, including a misdemeanor gun charge in March 2009, here in Los Angeles. He also was the driver in a hit-and-run accident in Buffalo, New York in 2008, reports the AP. He hit a woman in Buffalo's bar district and drove away, though he claimed that he didn't know that he hit her.

It’s often said that Los Angeles has the best fans. After all, Lakers fans have much to be grateful for. Kareem, Magic, West, Mikan, Kobe, Shaq, and Slava Medvedenko are just some of the legends that have graced our fair hardwood floors. Sure, we don’t scream and jump up and down like tweens at a Bieber concert. After all, we’re not watching a college game or the Oklahoma City Thunder. No, we’re more refined. We have Keystone Light.

Steve Nash should have already known what he was in for. As a member of the Phoenix Suns for what seems like forever, (and before that, as a Dallas Maverick), he has faced the Lakers and their fans many times. As great as their fans may be, nothing compares to the treatment you receive when you don the purple and gold.

Well, this comes as a bit of a surprise. According to the NFL, former USC CB Eric Wright, currently employed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will not face DUI charges after all. He was arrested earlier this month after a collision. He admitted to drinking and refused a breathalyzer test on scene.

We know what you're thinking: favorable treatment. That's quite possible. It's also quite possible that the officer fumbled something during the arrest or paperwork. And it's possible that Wright was completely and totally innocent. We'll never know.

Logic would dictate that it is a far better idea to bike home after drinking than to drive home.

It's not exactly the best idea, for obvious reasons, but it is still an alternative that demonstrates foresight and advanced planning when a designated driver is not available.

It's also illegal. Cycling under the influence (CUI) is a misdemeanor criminal offense here in sunny California. The worst part is, there's no set blood alcohol concentration that triggers a CUI.

A minor traffic accident led to a driving under the influence arrest and charges for celebrity chef Cat Cora. Cora, after a fight with her partner, drove home with an alleged 0.19 blood alcohol level. She was caught after accidentally rear-ending a BMW that stopped at a crosswalk, reports the Santa Barbara Independent.

The damage to the vehicle was minor, though the driver told officers that he suspected that Cora was intoxicated. She told officers that she had only consumed three beers at the Cold Spring Tavern. Field sobriety tests backed up the other driver's supposition. Breathalyzers administered on scene read 0.19 and 0.20. A more accurate blood test, administered in a hospital shortly thereafter, also read 0.19.

We recognize that not everyone in Los Angeles reads this blog. They should. Especially those who think about driving drunk. It's a really bad, yet apparently common, idea.

On the heels of those nearly 500 DUI arrests before July 4th even started, local law enforcement officers are not letting up. There is a slew of planned checkpoints and saturation patrols set for this weekend, so as always, get a designated driver.

Now is the time. Call your stock broker or get on E-Trade and place your orders. ignition interlock manufacturers are about to get a lot of business after an especially drunk driver-ridden weekend.

By the time dawn hit on Wednesday morning, Los Angeles County law enforcement departments had made nearly 500 arrests for driving under the influence, reports the Culver City Patch. Tack on the likely high amount of drivers arrested on Independence Day itself, plus the expected continued revelry throughout the weekend, and you have a lot of ignition interlock devices headed for cars.

Though the charge may prove to be either completely meritless or at least overblown, Eric Wright, a cornerback for the NFL’s Buccaneers and former USC great, was arrested on a felony DUI charge on Monday, reports the Los Angeles Times.

He is the second former USC football player to be slapped with a felony DUI charge in the last few months. (Go Bruins!)