Lost Hills sheriff warns against holiday drunk driving


NOSE TO NOSE—A sheriff’s deputy issues a sobriety test in Westlake. Courtesy of LASD

NOSE TO NOSE—A sheriff’s deputy issues a sobriety test in Westlake. Courtesy of LASD

The Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station wants motorists to know it will conduct multiple DUI checkpoints during the holiday season.

The checkpoints have proven to reduce the number of people killed and injured in alcohol- or drug-involved crashes, the sheriff’s department said.

Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20% when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.

During a checkpoint in the City of Westlake Village on Nov. 20, Lost Hills station deputies screened 264 vehicles, conducted field sobriety tests on seven drivers, and made three arrests for vehicle code violations.

One vehicle was towed due to a driver using a suspended license.

Punishment for a non-fatal DUI incident includes jail time, fines, fees, classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000, the sheriff says.

Westlake Village was the scene of a DUI-related fatality Sept. 29 in which two brothers, 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander, were struck and killed by a driver allegedly under the influence. Charges against the driver are pending.

Acorn staff report