Railroad Canyon Road DUI checkpoint issues citations

A checkpoint just west of Canyon Lake on Railroad Canyon Road screened 1,166 cars Friday night and made five DUI arrests.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Lake Elsinore Station, conducted the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) / Driver’s License checkpoint on Railroad Canyon Rd. and Church St. between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

The checkpoint yielded the following: 15 citations for unlicensed drivers, 3 citations for suspended license, 5 driving under the influence arrests, 11 vehicles were towed, 2 felony arrest warrants were served, 44 pounds of processed marijuana was seized and a total of 31 citations were issued.

The checkpoint was announced ahead of time, but the exact location was not disclosed. The Sheriff’s Department said the checkpoint location on Railroad Canyon Road was chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired, Sergeant Brad Foster of the Sheriff’s Department said.

During the checkpoint, deputies looked for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Sergeant Foster said. “Driving under the influence is dangerous and puts a further strain on critical resources. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving.”

While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal, he said.

Drivers charged with DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.




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