DWI Hit Parade!

From Long Island Press
Suffolk County police have identified the two pedestrians who were struck, one fatally, by an alleged drunken driver in North Amityville on Monday morning.
The woman who was killed in the crash was identified as Merell Jerman, 51, who lived on Great Neck Road, a little over three miles from the scene of the crash on Route 110 near the corner of Ritter Avenue.
Breuton Byrd, 18, who lives at the same address, was walking with Jerman when they were both struck at 5:56 a.m. Police said Byrd, who was described as a family friend, was walking Jerman to a bus stop when the crash occurred. ….MORE

This news graphic depicted the arrest of Jeret “Speedy” Peterson and was published prior to his death.

Breaking News: Speedy calls it quits, calls 911 to announce his suicide and shoots himself
From Idaho Statesman
Jeret Peterson faced serious personal challenges throughout his life, but he rose to great heights in aerial skiing — and will be remembered as an Olympic medalist who took the sport to a new level.
“He was never satisfied to do what everyone else was doing and just do it better,” said Tom Kelly, spokesman for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association. “He always wanted to do something bigger.”
The 29-year-old’s body was found at 9:30 p.m. Monday outside his pickup in Lambs Canyon, a 15-minute drive east of Salt Lake City, according to a spokesman for the Unified Police of Greater Salt Lake.
Lt. Justin Hoyal said Peterson called 911 and told a dispatcher that he was going to kill himself. He left a note at the scene.
The Boise native competed in three Winter Olympics and won a silver medal in aerial skiing in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2010……MORE 

Speedy Peterson’s Facebook page is filled with memorials from his fans

Friday’s arrest came after he was clocked at 70 mph in a 25 mph zone
From Idaho Statesman
Hailey police arrested Timberline High graduate and Olympic veteran Jeret “Speedy” Peterson early Friday morning for DUI following a traffic stop for speeding.
Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter said someone called police dispatchers just before 3 a.m. Friday to report they saw the driver of a Dodge Dakota pickup truck driving at a high rate of speed southbound on Idaho 75 coming from the Sun Valley area.
When officers located the truck on Idaho 75, they clocked it going at speeds as high 70 mph in a 25 mph zone, Gunter said. That’s when officers first attempted to pull over the truck but the driver, later identified as Peterson, didn’t stop until he got into Bellevue, which is about five miles away, according to reports.
When officers walked up to the truck, they detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from Peterson, Gunter said. Officers also say Peterson had slurred speech and failed field sobriety tests before he was taken to the Blaine County Jail, where he refused to take a blood alcohol content breath test…..MORE

From WBIR
In an ongoing effort to crack down on drunk driving in the Great Smoky Mountains National park, rangers have made several DUI and public intoxication arrests in the park over the past few weeks.
Rangers conducted two sobriety checkpoints and four special “saturation” road patrols during a two week period. Those efforts resulted in 7 DUI arrests, 3 public intoxication arrests, and the issuance of 36 citations and 66 warnings of various nature.
Chief Ranger Clayton Jordan said, “Alcohol-related accidents and
fatalities continue to be a serious problem in the Park. In 2010, 75 people were charged with DUI offenses in the Park. In 11 of them, the driver was involved in a crash prior to being charged. We also had two fatal accidents that involved alcohol. That’s significant.”
During one of the sobriety checkpoints on the Foothills Parkway in Blount County, a Park Ranger observed a male driver throwing a beer can out of the car window as he approached the checkpoint…..MORE

 
From Press-Enterprise
A construction worker struck last week by a drunken driver who barreled down a closed highway entrance ramp in Riverside died Sunday, multiple sources said.
Barry Steele, 51, of Beaumont, was fatally injured Wednesday night on the entrance ramp from Van Buren Boulevard to westbound Highway 91. Crews were widening the Van Buren overpass of the freeway and expanding entrance and exit ramps in the area.
According to witnesses and the CHP, Brandi Holmes, 21, used a closed turn lane to enter the ramp — cordoned off with signs and barriers but accessible as workers brought equipment in and out. Workers in trucks tried to alert her, but she kept going down the ramp, hitting a loader, a concrete barrier and eventually Steele, a worker with Skanska U.S.A. Civil.
Steele, a popular soccer coach in the San Gorgonio Pass area and the father of Cal State San Bernardino soccer standouts Barry, Brandon, Brent and Brock Steele, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. His condition never improved……MORE

From WCIV
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A Lowcountry teen was charged with felony DUI following a head-on collision that killed a 72-year-old woman.
The accident happened just after midnight, Sunday morning, where the Septima Clark Parkway enters Interstate 26, just north of Coming Street.
Police say 19-year-old Samuel McCauley was driving east, in the westbound lanes of I-26, the wrong way down the highway. That’s when he collided with Eleanor Caperton who was driving west. A police report says both cars were heavily damaged. ….MORE
Bail Set at Over $100,000 for DUI Murder
From Post & Courier
Bail for the Mount Pleasant teenager charged with killing a Ladson woman when he drove the wrong direction on Interstate 26 early Sunday has been set at $107,324.50, according to Charleston police.
Samuel McCauley, 19, has been charged with reckless homicide and felony driving under the influence, police spokesman Charles Francis said. Bail was set Monday afternoon during a hearing at Medical University Hospital, Francis said.. ..MORE

From Sun Herald
HARRISON COUNTY — Michael Blake Ladner has been booked at the county jail on a charge of DUI causing a death.
Sheriff’s officials said the charge involves the death Thursday night of 17-year-old Dakota Cuevas, who died in a one-vehicle crash on McHenry Road.
The jail docket shows Ladner is held on a $25,000 bond. …..MORE

BWI: Bozo while intoxicated or Boating while intoxicated…your pick…
From The Suffolk Times
A Connecticut man who reported that a passenger had fallen off of his boat in Orient Harbor was charged with boating while intoxicated Sunday night.
Police said that Brian Dermody, 54, of Stafford Springs, Conn. called to report that Wayne McBreairty, 45, of Ellington, Conn. had fallen out of his boat. When police arrived on the scene, Mr. McBreairty had gotten back on board the boat, but Mr. Dermody was observed to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, according to police reports. Mr. Dermody was arrested and held overnight for a morning arraignment.
• James Breitenbach, Jr., 23, of Laurel was charged with DWI…..MORE

From DelmarvaNOW.com
BISHOPVILLE — A 45-year-old Bishopville woman has been charged with several traffic violations for the second month in a row after sideswiping an oncoming car Sunday morning.
Kim Hinkley, of Back-Creek Road in Bishopville, was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving without a license, negligent driving, unsafe lane change, driving on a revoked license and failure to obey designated lane….MORE

NORTH AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Police in Suffolk County arrested a man for DWI after he allegedly struck two pedestrians in North Amityville early Monday morning.
Authorities said Richard Hughes, 49, was driving a 2002 Lincoln Continental southbound on Route 110 around 5:56 a.m. Police said his vehicle struck two pedestrians near Ritter Avenue.
A woman, who was struck, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident….MORE