Imperial Beach Calif DUI driver killed pedestrian 090515 Photo courtesy of NBC San Diego.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department:

From NBC San Diego:

Pedestrian killed by DUI driver just one block from sobriety checkpoint

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver overnight just one block away from a DUI checkpoint – so close, deputies working the checkpoint heard the crash.

Driver Jonathan Rojas, 24, was arrested on DUI charges and gross vehicular manslaughter after the collision on Palm Avenue, between Emory Street and 10th Avenue, in Imperial Beach around 12:40 a.m. Saturday.   ….MORE

San Diego County Sheriff sobriety checkpoint

Spike in Fatal DUIs Draws Concern, Drunk Driving Reminder from Law Enforcement
11 People Killed in DUI Crashes This Summer, Six in August Alone

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis joined law enforcement leaders today to express serious concerns over the troubling number of fatal accidents that have occurred over the summer which are a direct result of drinking and driving. Eleven people have been killed in a series of crashes around San Diego County since May and 23 serious or fatal DUI cases issued since January 1. Five crashes have occurred in August alone, killing six people.

“This has been a summer of shame when it comes to fatal DUIs,” said DA Dumanis. “The conduct of the individuals who caused these crashes is horrific. We’ve had drunks driving the wrong way on the highway, individuals consuming alcohol for hours before getting behind the wheel and a young mother driving with her children in the car while using drugs. Tragically, lives have been lost because of these preventable crimes, which should serve as a wakeup call to anyone even thinking about driving under the influence.”

One year ago, the DA’s Office launched a DUI Homicide Unit to prosecute fatalities and serious injuries. The unit, made up of two prosecutors and two investigators, has been so busy they have had to rely on additional prosecutors in the office. Funding for this unit comes in part from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Last year more than 12,330 DUI-related cases were prosecuted in San Diego County. Of that number, the District Attorney’s Office prosecuted 363 DUI with injury cases and 17 involving fatalities. During the same time period, 46 percent of DUI drivers in the county had a blood alcohol content higher than .15 percent – nearly twice the legal limit. As we go into the Labor Day weekend, law enforcement will be cracking down on suspected DUI drivers through added sobriety check points and a ‘no tolerance approach’ to impaired driving.

Summer of Shame in San Diego as Drunk Drivers Kill and Maim