Free Republic

Billionaire shipping magnate Angela Chao knew she was about to die as she sat trapped in her car after reversing it into a pond while three times over the drink drive limit, police have revealed. The sister-in-law of Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell was pronounced dead at the scene after her Tesla SUV was hauled from the water on her 900-acre ranch in Texas on February 11. She had previously been confused by the gears on her Model X and mistakenly put the car into reverse after an evening with close friends at a lodge on the estate.

A California man who has five prior DUI convictions is now facing a murder charge after allegedly hitting and killing a pedestrian this week while driving under the influence of alcohol. Jonathan Lopez, 31, was seen "drinking alcohol and flipping officers off" after leading law enforcement on a short pursuit Tuesday following the fatal incident in Orange, California, in the Los Angeles area, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. "An innocent man is dead because someone without a license who has been prohibited from driving because of his extensive DUI history decided to ignore every warning he was...

The House passed a bill Thursday that will enable law enforcement to deport illegal migrants caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The measure passed with the support of 274 lawmakers, but a staggering 150 Democrats voted against it. The Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that illegal migrants caught driving under the influence can be deported and not allowed back into the U.S. 'In the United States, someone dies in a crash with an impaired driver every 45 minutes,' Rep. Barry Moore, who introduced the bill, told Fox News....

A man on a horse has been arrested for DUI after California Highway Patrol officers spotted him riding through the streets of a small town with an open container of alcohol. Officer Kody Brackett noticed the boozy cowboy galloping through Merced, 70 miles north of Fresno, and bucked into action. A video shared by the CHP showed the horse walking alongside a police vehicle, which the cops described as 'a display of true compassion.' This incident serves as a surprising reminder that the state's drunken driving laws also apply to horse riders. The California Vehicle Code 21050 reads: 'Every person...

Texas drunken drivers who kill a child’s parent or guardian in a crash are now liable to pay child support, according to legislation that went into effect Friday. Texas House Bill 393, also known as Bentley’s Law, was first filed on Nov. 14 of last year. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill on June 2. “Any time a parent passes is tragic, but a death at the hands of a drunk driver is especially heinous,” the Republican governor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I was proud to sign HB 393 into law this year to require offenders...

MARION COUNTY, FL — A man wearing a shirt that read, “I’m The Reason The Beer’s Always Gone” was arrested Aug. 16 and charged with driving under the influence, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. He was nearly three times over the legal blood alcohol content limit at the time of his arrest, the agency said. James Rix Jr. was clocked going 89 mph in a 45 mph during radar patrol near Marion Oaks Boulevard and Marion Oaks Manor. He initially led deputies on a chase, trying to elude them, but he was eventually pulled over...

Driving while intoxicated along Interstate 95 at a speed of more than 95 miles per hour is never a good idea. Doing it in a Hyundai with only three tires is a worse idea. According to police in Brevard County, Florida, who were pursuing the car at high speed on Sunday evening, the vehicle had slipped one of its front tires and was riding on a rim. And the rim was nearly in pieces when the car was stopped. Sheriffs’ deputies were alerted about the speeder thanks to a 911 call from another driver, and finally pulled over the car...

Two drivers, one high and one drunk, slammed into each other on a Virginia road, wrecking their cars while miraculously suffering no injuries themselves, police said. Stafford County deputies arrived at the 1800 block of Mountain View Road Thursday night after receiving a call of two vehicles colliding when one swerved into the wrong lane. Deputies said one car, a silver Honda Civic, crossed the center double-yellow line and struck an oncoming blue Honda Civic, which was knocked off the road. Police found that the driver of the silver Civic, an 18-year-old man, was driving while in possession of a...

The family of an 11-year-old child who was killed in an allegedly drunken crash has slammed a Portland, Ore., judge for releasing the accused motorist without bail, a report said. Duprie Smith, 29, who suffered a gunshot and was driving himself to the hospital at the time of the crash, was released without bail by Judge Michael Greenlick, despite prosecutors requesting it be set at $100,000. Victim Ryan Ambrose’s family is now demanding justice for the little boy. “He was killed by a drunk driver and now this guy is in his house watching TV and my grandson is in...

For more than 54 years, a Bay Area woman has wondered what happened to her husband, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot missing in action during the Vietnam War. Now at age 90, Joyce De Soto of Burlingame finally has answers. They were high school sweethearts at Balboa High School in San Francisco before tying the knot. "He had the most beautiful smile, and he was really sweet and really smart," De Soto said of her late husband Ernie De Soto. The De Sotos had three children and were married for 12 years before the family received devastating news: Ernie...

Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville’s tumultuous couple of years took another turn on Monday night when he was arrested in Berkeley following an alleged physical altercation with his brother. Berkeley Scanner reported that police arrived at the home of Somerville's parents in the Berkeley Hills just after 6:30 p.m. Monday. Police allegedly found Somerville being restrained by his brother, who told the Berkeley Scanner that he and Frank got into a fight after Frank made threats against their father. According to Alameda County jail records, Somerville, 65, was booked on suspicion of battery with serious bodily injury, threatening a crime...

A Florida woman faces a charge of driving under the influence after deputies in Volusia County said she drove onto a crowded beach. The incident happened Saturday at Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach where families were enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. Witnesses reported that the reckless driver plowed into the water after speeding down the beach at 50 mph in close proximity to several families and their dogs, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Officials said the driver, identified as Sarah Ramsammy, 26, of Orlando, almost hit a child.

A driver in Colorado tried to avoid being arrested for a DUI by swapping seats with his dog after being pulled over. The unknown man was stopped by police in Springfield, Colorado, just before midnight on Saturday for allegedly driving 52 mph in a 30-mph zone. Springfield Police Department said that they conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle which had been traveling near 7th and Main Street in the town. In a post to Facebook, the department said: 'The driver attempted to switch places with his dog who was in the passenger seat, as the SPD officer approached and...

Bodycam footage shows an Illinois woman laughing and playing dumb after she killed two people in a deadly DUI crash on April 10, 2022. Stephanie Melgoza blew three times over the legal limit shortly after failing every other sobriety test performed by East Peoria officers. "This doesn't happen. I go to Bradley," the clearly intoxicated woman said referencing the private university she was set to graduate from in the coming weeks. “You’re pathetic,” an officer said to Melgoza in the hospital when she continued to joke around after learning the two victims died. Melgoza pleaded guilty to two counts of...

I stumbled onto this first on Twitter. If its a 4/1 prank...a lotta people seem to be taking the bait. My apologies if this is a re-post. Here's three separate links... FReep /on

A 28-year-old intoxicated Florida man on a bicycle was arrested Wednesday after he failed to exit U.S. 1 or stop for deputies. Clayton Guy Peavey of Marathon was charged with DUI and fleeing and eluding, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. According to deputies, Peavey was impeding traffic while on a bicycle on U.S. 1 near 15th Street at approximately 9 a.m. Deputies attempted to stop Peavey with their lights and sirens activated. Peavey did not stop and began to peddle faster. He finally stopped at 29th Street after tiring and was booked into the Monroe County Jail on a...

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced that a $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of Zachery Waldo, the man who left his DUI manslaughter trial for lunch and never returned. Waldo was on trial in connection with a DUI crash on Christmas Eve in 2019 that killed Christopher Smith, Jessica Smith and their 13-year-old daughter, according to court documents. Waldo, who was out on bond, left his trial on March 14 and has not been seen since. According to police, Waldo has fled from law enforcement in the past, and has...

(March 17, 2023)- On March 16, 2023, at approximately 9:11 p.m., officers from the Cape Coral Police Department responded to a call for service at 2100-Block of SW 45th Terrace, Cape Coral, Lee County, Florida, in reference to a boating hit and run. The call notes stated that a male, later identified as Kurt James Snowden (W/M 8-25-1971, 2517 SW 52nd Street), was highly intoxicated and was operating a boat inside the canals, causing a scene. Mr. Snowden played music loudly, screamed, disturbed the peace, and struck several docks in the area with his boat. Contact was made with witnesses...

Connecticut has an alcohol problem when it comes to driving. In 2020, 40-percent of all crashes involved drinking. Lawmakers are deciding whether to lower the legal blood alcohol limit. Only one other state, Utah, has done this. New York and a few others are considering it. The transportation committee heard strong testimony on why this will save lives. “To be frank, Connecticut has a drunk driving problem,” said Garrett Eucalitto, Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner. Eucalitto said what we are doing isn’t working. He supports legislation to lower the legal blood alcohol level from .08 to .05. That same message...

Palm Bay City Council member Pete Filiberto was arrested Saturday night on charges of riding his motorcycle while impaired and carrying 10 grams of cocaine in his shoe, court records show. Filiberto, 34, elected to office in 2022, was charged with possession of cocaine, reckless driving, DUI alcohol, no motorcycle endorsement, and refusing a DUI test, according to News 6 partner Florida Today. The powdered cocaine was found after Filiberto was taken to the police department’s holding cell and ordered to remove his shoes, arrest records show. Court records show that the arrest was Filiberto’s third on DUI charges. Palm...