Few overnight DUI arrests on Northern Nevada highways during critical New Year's holiday stretch

More than 275 traffic enforcement stops were made by Nevada Highway Patrol troopers on Northern Nevada highways in a 10-hour period from 7 pm Monday until 5 am Tuesday morning.

Only seven motorists, or roughly three percent, stopped during that timeframe were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Many of those motorists stopped were designated drivers for passengers riding in the vehicle who were celebrating the New Year and had already consumed alcohol.

Other calls for service during that same timeframe involved assisting 14 motorists whose vehicles had broken down along the highway and five automobile crashes were investigated as well. Three of those crashes involved minor injuries and were in the Reno-Sparks area while two others happened in the Carson-Tahoe-Minden areas and were property damage only.

One of the crashes involving injuries could have been much worse when a 31-year-old Sun Valley woman was struck by a red 2-door Saab as she was walking across Sun Valley Blvd near East Second Avenue in a crosswalk against the red light around 1:00 am this morning.

She only sustained a leg injury in the low speed crash and was transported to Renown Regional Medial Center by REMSA personnel where she was treated for her injuries. Several witnesses who had stopped to assist at the scene told troopers she was walking against the red light as well.

Her blood alcohol concentration level was slightly more than three times the legal threshold limit of .08 percent and she was cited for failing to obey a traffic control device. The driver who struck her was not cited or injured during the event.

Part of our highway safety efforts this holiday weekend focused on crosswalk violations during several shifts over the past three days. Troopers were watchful for pedestrians who were jaywalking as well as for motorists who would not yield to those on foot attempting to cross the roadway at many intersections in the Reno-Sparks, Carson City and Lake Tahoe areas. The results of this directed enforcement activity will not be available until most likely tomorrow.

— Trooper Chuck Allen is the Public Information Officer for the Nevada Highway Patrol