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Sammy Linebaugh reportingAbout 45 Utah Highway Patrol troopers began a street sweep of suspected drunk drivers Saturday night. It's part of a new iniative by the patrol to crackdown on alcohol-related accidents.
New money has breathed new life into the campaign against drunk driving.
And with spring break around the corner, Saturday night's crackdown comes with a message for teenagers.
It's as much a part of springtime as the tulips. The pre-Easter exodus to Utah's play spots.
Sgt. Daniel Fuhr says, "With spring break, we'll have a lot of people going to Moab, a lot of people going to the sand dunes, a lot of people going to St. George-- mostly teenagers in St. George. A lot of people traveling throughout the state, and our message is that we will be out in full force at every single recreational sight in the state of Utah, every single county, specifically looking for the impaired driver."
Trooper Fuhr says Saturday night's hunt for those who make the choice to drink and drive is a warm up for next weekend, and one of several crackdowns Utahns can expect this summer.
Thanks to increased funding from public and private sources, the Utah Highway Patrol now plans to operate so-called DUI sweeps every couple of weeks.
"We have a serious problem. Last night, for instance, we had three people that nearly lost their lives on Utah's interstate," the trooper says.
Sgt. Fuhr says those three separate accidents each were caused by an intoxicated driver. And he says sweeps like this are a stab at prevention.
[8] For 19-year-old Heather Brown, who's four-month-old nephew was killed by a drunk driver, the added patrol is welcome.
And as spring break approaches, she has a plea for fellow students.
"Don't let somebody get in a car. I don't care what you have to do, if you have to tie that person up. That is better than having somebody die," she says.
If just once accident is prevented, troopers say their time is well spent.
Antecdotally, troopers say the past few weeks they've seen a real problem, a real increase in the number of alcohol-related accidents.
They hope the "don't drink and drive" message is well-received.
