Recently, the California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) arrested 25 year veteran Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD”) Captain, Steve Ruiz, for DUI drunk driving on the 101 Freeway near Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks. Instead of being booked and taken into custody, his vehicle was impounded and he was released to either a family member or friend. Ruiz’s field sobriety test and breathalyzer results were not released, but he was released of his command running the Rampart station and reassigned to a non-field assignment pending the criminal proceedings and an internal investigation by LAPD.
Approximately 11,000 deaths occur in the United States as a result of alcohol-impaired drivers.
In 2010, over 72,000 people were killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles is ranked by the California Office of Traffic Safety one of the worst counties for incidents of fatal and serious injury accidents.