2015 MCSO DUI Stats

It's Dangerous: Drivers Continue Driving Under The Influence Of Drugs And/Or Alcohol

MCSO Photo: July 2015

Mesa County, Colo. -- It may be shocking to some people that law enforcement continues to regularly arrest people for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drug(s) -- DUI/DUID. The Colorado Department of Transportation reported crash statistics by County for 2015, from Colorado State Patrol crash investigations. Mesa County (CSP investigated) crashes attributed to alcohol in 2015, came in at 49. The same data reported crashes attributed to the driver being under the influence of drug(s), totaled 13.

For our agency, in 2015, we totaled 233 DUI/DUID arrests in Mesa County. Deputies located intoxicated drivers during regular patrol shifts and working increased DUI/DUID efforts, like holiday weekends (Heat Is On Campaign) in tangent with other local law enforcement agencies.

"DUI enforcement is one of the few proactive things you can do as a cop that truly saves lives," Captain Don Hendricks, said.

We laud all our deputies for their efforts to stop intoxicated drivers before they hurt innocent people or themselves. Our top deputies who took intoxicated drivers off the road in 2015 are: Deputy M. Roberts, Deputy B. Carnes, Deputy D. Strauch, Deputy J. Gray, Deputy B. Lawrence, Deputy D. Huisjen and Deputy D. Love.

Although several blood draws are still pending official results, here are our TOP 10 most notable blood alcohol content  (BAC) results for the year 2015, based on initial arrest information:

1. .300% July 2015 arrest by Deputy M. Roberts
2. .296% July 2015 arrest by Deputy B. Eldrige
3. .277% May 2015 arrest by Deputy J. Gray
4. .277% January 2015 arrest by Deputy D. Strauch
5. .275% February 2015 arrest by Deputy A. Zwink
6. .269% December 2015 arrest by Deputy C. Brammer
7. .257% March 2015 arrest by Deputy D. Sandell
8. .257% March 2015 arrest by Deputy J. Gray
9. .247% July 2015 arrest by Deputy B. Carnes
10. .247% October 2015 arrest by Deputy T. Stuckenschneider

MCSO Photo: July 2015

The Colorado legal limit for drunk driving is a BAC level of .08. A 120-pound female can reach this level of intoxication after only two drinks, and a 180-pound male can be at .08 after only four drinks. These numbers, however, are an average; Alcohol affects every person differently. One drink may be enough to push some people over the legal limit. A “drink” is considered to be either one 1.5-ounce shot of hard liquor, one 12-ounce glass of beer, or one 5-ounce glass of wine.

If you suspect an intoxicated driver on the roads in Colorado, you can call *277 from a cell phone or in Mesa County, call 911 or non-emergency dispatch at (970) 242-6707. And, some tips from Colorado State Patrol on spotting an intoxicated driver.

Reporting a suspected drunk driver to dispatch can and does save lives. 

Media Note: DUI/DUID arrests conducted by other law enforcement agencies in Mesa County will need to be obtained from those agencies directly. This is only a compilation of DUI/DUID arrests done by our deputies, only.