DUI checkpoint in Escondido nets one arrest

ESCONDIDO (CNS) - A motorist was arrested for impaired driving at a checkpoint for driving under the influence, police said on Sunday.

The checkpoint was conducted Saturday at Second Avenue and Broadway.

Almost 7,000 vehicles drove through the checkpoint and 983 vehicles were screened at an initial check with 60 vehicles sent to a secondary screening. Drivers who could not produce a driver's license or who were suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs are sent to the secondary screening.

Four citations were issued for suspended licenses, 18 for unlicensed drivers and one field sobriety test was conducted, Lt. Scott Walters of the Escondido Police Department said.

Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be approximately $13,500, officials said. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses, plus possible jail time.

The Escondido Police Department will be conducting other DUI and driver's license checkpoints and saturation patrols throughout the year.

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