Crime

Heavy DUI patrols scheduled for Cinco de Mayo

May 1, 2014

While Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, in California it is also a time when friends and family celebrate by attending parties and barbecues where alcoholic beverages are served abundantly, which means some of those party-goers end up driving home in an impaired state, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.For that reason, the sheriff’s office will join with police agencies throughout the county comprising the Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force to remind Cinco de Mayo celebrants that drunk driving should never be a part of the party plans, according to a press release from the task force. As part of a weekend Avoid the 13 crackdown on impaired driving, DUI saturation patrols will be deployed in Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale, police said. Officers will be looking to identify and stop suspected drunk drivers. “Cinco de Mayo has unfortunately become one of the most dangerous days of the year, all because of drunk driving,” said Sheriff Laurie Smith. “Some people have this misconception that they can drink a little, and drive safely, but that’s just not true. Everyone needs to remember that buzzed driving Is drunk driving, and there’s never an excuse for it.” From 2011 to 2012, the number of people killed in drunk driving crashes on Cinco de Mayo more than doubled, according to the press release. In all fatal crashes in 2012, 71 percent of the drunk drivers involved had blood alcohol concentrations of almost twicethe legal limit. Authorities remind Cinco de Mayo revelers to plan your ride ahead of time by designating a sober driver before the party begins, calling a friend or taxi for a ride or using public transportation. Sober motorists can report drunk or reckless drivers by calling 911, police said. And friends are encouraged to prevent each other from driving drunk by taking their keys and helping them make other transportation arrangements. “It’s a real tragedy that 10,322 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in our nation in 2012,” Smith added. “We’ve got to put a stop to it.”The Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to authorities. The next countywide DUI task force deployment will be for the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, May 23 to May 26.

Gilroy woman succumbs to injuries from Christmas Day wreck

January 5, 2015

A Gilroy woman has died of her injuries following a crash on Christmas Day outside of Gilroy, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office confirmed Monday. Socorro Alfaro, 64, was injured in a two-vehicle wreck near the intersection of Roop Road and New Avenue at approximately 12:30 p.m. Dec. 25.She succumbed to her injuries—complications of multiple traumatic injuries due to the collision—just after 6:15 p.m. New Year’s Eve, according to the Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office.The wreck occurred when Alfaro, driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser, was heading westbound on Roop Road when she failed to yield at the intersection and turned southbound onto New Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. The PT Cruiser collided with the left side of an SUV headed southbound on New, which caused the SUV—a Toyota RAV4—to roll over onto the southbound shoulder of the road, authorities said.While Alfaro suffered serious injuries during the wreck, she was conscious and provided a statement to the CHP. She told authorities she was driving between 20 and 30 miles per hour when she turned onto New Avenue, saw the oncoming vehicle but was unable to stop in time to prevent the wreck.The driver of the RAV4 was transported to a local hospital as a precautionary measure, but sustained no serious injuries, according to the CHP.