NBC Channel 4 News Los Angeles reported recently that a rash of motor vehicle accidents took place on Saturday, March 20, 2021 that are suspected to have been caused by motorists driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants has led to a pledge by the Los Angeles Police Department to intensify visible traffic enforcement.
According to officials with the Los Angeles Police Department, three suspected DUI accidents occurred within two hours on the afternoon of Saturday, March 20, 2021 that killed one woman and injured six other individuals, including a veteran reporter for local Fox affiliate FOX11.
The first of the accidents occurred between 3:00 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) when a motorist crashed into a storefront at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, striking five pedestrians on the sidewalk. Four of the pedestrians were hospitalized and the driver was arrested at the accident scene.
Around 4:00 p.m. PST, a driver suspected of street racing under the influence crashed into an uninvolved bystander, a woman 57 years of age, causing fatal injuries to the bystander. That driver was also arrested.
At 4:55 p.m. PST, a third accident occurred along a crosswalk at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Sixth Street, where a female pedestrian was struck by a suspected DUI driver, causing life-threatening injuries.
“Motorists can expect to see high-visibility traffic enforcement and a continued commitment to educate the public on the dangers of driving under the influence, whether it be from alcohol or drugs such as marijuana or prescription medication,” stated the LAPD in a press statement.