My first drunk driver experience

General General Discussion
1

Last week, my wife, kids an I were coming home from dinner. Time was approximately 8pm on a Thursday night.

We came upon a Ford F150 that was driving somewhat erratically (crossing the double yellow, hitting brakes for no reason, etc). I spotted it pretty early on and dropped back quite a bit from them.

As we drove along, it was apparent that the driver was severely impaired and would often times be in the left lane going around a right hand turn! Several times, there was almost a head on collision.

We approached a small town and the driver pulled off into the parking lot of a post office. We went passed him and could see that he was slumped over with head against the wheel. We pulled into a local drive thru for some groceries and when we came out, he was still there (truck running, lights on just barely off the road). That is when I made the decision that I couldn’t let this continue on and had to report it.

Since I was driving, I had my wife call the Sheriff Office and get with dispatch. We gave a vehicle description and tag #. As soon as we did this, the driver took off down the road. Concerned that he would cause an accident (and we would need to report or help the injured), we followed the driver at a safe distance.

Living in a rural county, there were no Deputies nearby and since we were about to cross the county line, my counties dispatch contacted the next counties SO and attempted to get a Deputy headed to us. Due to the fact that we were doing over 60MPH down back county roads, a Deputy was going to have a hard time catching up to us. So the dispatcher called in a Trooper to meet up with us.

My wife gave excellent directions and forecasting to where we were headed so that the Trooper could intercept us. As we were driving along, I could see a car coming up behind me. Within seconds he was on my bumper. The dispatcher verified to the Trooper our vehicle description and that the drunk driver was in front of us. Within 50yds, the DD made quick left turn down a rural (un-lined) road. I put my hazards on and moved onto the shoulder. The Trooper went around me and gave chase to the drunk driver.

When everything was said and done, we followed the drunk driver for 20 miles. The drivers BAC was THREE TIMES over the legal limit.

C4

2

DId the same thing (follow the drunk) on a Saturday afternoon about ten years ago on I-275 on the north side of Cincinnati starting at I-71 going west to Rt-4 exit. Guy was going up the median barricade wall a bit, going 40-70 miles an hour in one of four lanes randomly. Wife called it in and I don’t think that I was the only one calling the play by play since about 10 cop cars seemed to join in around 747.

I’ve been young and dumb but it is amazing to see in broad daylight someone being that dangerous. At those levels of performance you’re protecting them from themselves as much as anything.

3

I’ve seen what happens first hand from a guy that blew .330, dude couldnt even remember his birthday…or how he rolled his car.

I’ll never understand how people can be sooooo stupid and allow a chemical to run their lives. And no, I am not a bleeding heart and believe its a disease. Because it is not, its a choice.

4

Good job Grant. Too many people would rather not get involved. Having seen the aftermath of more than a few fatal DUI accidents, I wish more people wouldn’t just look the other way.

Enjoy a safe Thanksgiving.

5

Thanks. I struggle with doing this kind of stuff, but if I let this guy kill himself or kill another person, I would have felt responsible (to a certain level).

C4

6

Good job man. The US has around 40k motor vehicle deaths every year and DUI is a factor in around half. It’s crazy.

7

Good job Grant. You have to take a stand sometimes.

8

Kudos.

I have absolutely no tolerance for drunk drivers.

If more people would be as proactive as you were this country would see the number of drunk driving fatalities plummet.

It’s even worse in rural areas like Montana, where drinking and driving are often just considered SOP. There’s a standing joke (sadly) in Montana that highway fatalities which involve alcohol, excessive speed, and no seat belts are documented as “death by natural causes.”

9

There’s a certain threshold where action becomes obvious and imperative, and I don’t think it ever feels comfortable for the layman.

10

There’s a lot of bars in that area. Probably twice as many now. Luckily I haven’t encountered a drunk driver lately.

11

Had to do that once. After my wife explained the situation to the 911 operator on speaker phone the conversation whet something like…

Ok she’s in her lane nowww oh she’s going across the intersta… whoaa no she she’s headed off the shoulder, whoaaaaooohhhh , no she’s actually back in her lane… that went on a couple minutes. They got the license and told us to back way away so we did. Never did know exactly what happened. This was like 10AM.

12

So this isn’t an amusing story about you getting hammered and driving home, then.

bc

13

I make a call like that once a year on average.

14

You did the right thing Grant. May have saved his life or someone else’s.

Back in the late '90’s, a friend and I were on our way to a hunting trip in W. TX, traveling on HWY 90 (two lane road) a night. We came upon a pickup truck in front of us swerving all the way from the right gravel shoulder to the left gravel shoulder. There were 18 wheelers in the oncoming lane flashing their lights and blowing horns at the guy but on he went. When we reached an open space with no traffic, we closed on him enough to get a good description and LP then backed off. I called 911 on my cell, which back then was the size of a home cordless phone, and reported the driver along with our location. Within 5 minutes we saw a car approach from way up ahead, make a u-turn and stop on the side of the road. As soon as the truck passed the cop went after him with all lights on and had him stopped within a very short distance.

I never regretted that decision for a minute and neither should you…well done!

15

Not this time. :wink:

C4

16

I quit reporting them. Just a few weeks ago headed home from a late evening meet I saw some clown on I-10 driving reckless and it appeared that he was; A. high as a kite, B. drunk driving or C. needed some sleep.

I called DPS dispatch and gave them a full description, plate number, etc… and everything else short of pulling him over. As we approached the 101 interchange the dispatcher states that DPS is ahead due to an accident.

The vehicle then goes from the far left lane, and cuts all the way across to the right lane to merge onto the 101. I see him pass right by a DPS car parked on the side of the freeway (the accident was clear and there were 2 other DPS vehicles on scene) and no one took off after him even after I told the dispatcher he just passed one of their units. The dispatcher obviously knew the units were there so I can’t understand why one wasn’t waiting and why they couldn’t follow after him.

17

I drive a tractor trailer rig three times a week during the summer for my business. I was following a guy and he could barely stay in his lane. A mile further I got into a passing lane and pulled up next to the guy (2 lane highway) I good look down at him and see he was plastered. He nearly sideswiped me while I passed. I got on the phone with trooper dispatch and they said they didn’t have an officer anywhere near me and there was nothing to do. I said fine, I’m going to brake check this guy into the ditch and deal with it myself. She said she’d find somebody. I kept him behind me and flashed my lights at oncoming traffic. Miraculously a trooper showed up 5 miles later and nailed the guy. He blew .22 :blink: according to the trooper that eventually contacted me as a witness and to chew me out for talking that way to dispatch.

18

Glad you actually got an LE response. Twice I have seen where our local LE could not spare a unit, even when we found the address they had driven to. In broad daylight no less.

19

Same here. The few times I have called in about someone driving like they were having a seizure I was told there are no units in the area. You’d figure with the crappy economy and red budgets nailing drunk drivers and taking their $$ wouldn’t be frowned upon.

20

Thank you for doing that. One of my best friends was killed by a drunk driver.

He survived 3 deployments to Iraq as an 0311.