Hours into 2025, a Murrieta drunk driver suspect may have already made what may have been the worst gaffe of the year, and police caught it on video.
Murrieta police said in a statement that shortly after the new year began, officers “initiated a traffic stop after noticing a vehicle cross the road to investigate a possible drunk driver.” announced that it had investigated.
During the stop, which was captured on the officer’s body camera, the suspect stated that he gave his friend a ride home because “I’m driving drunk tonight.”
The officer looked incredulous and replied, “Are you the drunk driver tonight?”
“Yes, that’s right,” the driver confirmed.
“Are you going to say ‘DD’?” the officer asked, referring to the abbreviation for designated driver who remains sober while others are drinking.
The driver stopped, speechless, and quietly apologized.
During the ensuing encounter, the suspect admitted to drinking alcohol and took a field sobriety test, according to police video. He nearly fell several times while walking straight and trying to count.
He was eventually arrested for DUI and taken to jail, according to Murrieta police.
“Approximately 37 people die in drunk driving accidents in the United States every day, approximately one every 39 minutes,” the police department said in a statement. “In 2022, 13,524 people lost their lives to drunk driving.”
