My office has the tough duty of seeing the specifics of every fatal DUI that happens across the county and as you can imagine, the details are heart-wrenching. Case after case docÂuments how lives were cut short and family units left in shamÂbles with the painful knowledge that the catastrophe could have been prevented by a very simple act: not driving under the influÂence of drugs or alcohol.
Just this month a 25-year-old man in North County was sentenced for driving under the influence of drugs and causing the death of a mother and her 4-year-old daughter. Also this month, a 38-year-old drunken driver was found guilty at trial of running over and killing a man as he walked to work in University Heights last sumÂmer.
These defendants, just like any person, could have preÂvented the tragic outcomes of these cases by simply not drivÂing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Instead, here I am telling you about the death and destruction caused by bad decisions.
Unfortunately, the number of young drivers involved in fatal DUI-related crashes has increased this past year. More than half of the individuals charged with DUI homicide ofÂfenses in 2024 were between the age of 18 and 26 at the time of the collision.
Our office has a specialized team of prosecutors and investiÂgators who bring justice to DUI offenders who cause death. We just received a nearly $900,000 grant – our eleventh one in a row – from the California OfÂfice of Transportation Safety to prevent and prosecute impaired driving deaths and DUI-drug cases. This grant comes as faÂtal DUI numbers in San Diego County remain at an all-time high with 25 people already beÂing killed this year.
My message to every driver in San Diego County is clear and I hope every reader will help me spread the word: If you are caught drinking or drugged driving, you will be prosecuted. If you kill someone because of your impaired driving, you can be charged with homicide.
As we enter the holiday seaÂson when many people are celÂebrating with drinks or other substances, please begin your celebration by designating a sober driver or planning for a ride. Do not end the year with a DUI on your record or even worse, by taking someone’s life. The combination of alcohol and marijuana have been the cause of death in several DUI cases. Even though either substance may be legal to consume at the appropriate age, it’s not legal or safe to drive while under their influence.
At least 30 people die every year in San Diego County due to DUI driving. Here are some of the recent statistics that I hope will assure you to make a sober driving plan if you plan to consume alcohol or take subÂstances that could impair your judgment.
In 2020, 33 people were killed in 30 DUI-related crashes.
In 2021, 39 people were killed in 36 DUI-related crashes.
In 2022, 33 people were killed in 32 DUI-related crashes.
In 2023, 32 people were killed in 29 DUI-related crashes.
This year, 25 people have been killed so far in 20 DUI-related crashes.
Since DUI crashes are 100 % preventable, I am calling on all Californians to think twice beÂfore getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
When you’re invited to that next holiday party or as you celebrate the year coming to an end, don’t become a San Diego statistic of someone gone too soon or someone who caused another person’s death. Plan on how you will get home safely and don’t let anyone drive who you suspect may be impaired.
On behalf of our entire team at the District Attorney’s Office, which is dedicated to building safe and healthy communities, we wish you a joyful and safe holiday season.
