There was plenty of law enforcement handing out Florida traffic tickets throughout the state over Labor Day weekend but the number of DUI arrests in North Florida was relatively low for the long weekend. According to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol and a story in the Walton Sun newspaper, there were 122 traffic citations handed out and jut four arrests for driving under the influence in northwest Florida, which was a primary focus of law enforcement over the holiday.
Teams of police officers known as “wolf packs” patrolled I-10 in the Florida panhandle. One team was solely dedicated to DUI enforcement. That team made four arrests for driving under the influence. The other team of law enforcement officers issued 122 traffic citations to Florida drivers. There were warnings issued to 81 drivers and there were 72 notices issued for faulty equipment.
At a roadside checkpoint located in Washington County just north of Bay County there were just eight traffic tickets issued, 11 warnings but 27 notices involving faulty equipment. The Bay County sheriff’s department did make a DUI arrest as well but that did not occur at the comprehensive roadside checkpoint that was set up.
There were no Panama City Beach drunk driving arrests reported as police report it was more of a family weekend at the beach than a spring break type of environment. Despite the positive reports on DUI arrests and tickets, there were still some fatalities on the north Florida roadways. There was an early morning accident that left two dead in Panama City Beach when their vehicles collided at approximately 4:30 a.m. Police say one of the drivers was speeding when he ran into a limousine turning on to the street. Both drivers died at the scene.
There was also a motorcycle accident with serious injuries. According to police reports a motorcyclist ran a red light and struck a car. The accident sent the man to the hospital with severe injuries.
