Texas City – Many people enjoy parties, dinners, and family get-togethers over Memorial Day weekend. But for 41 people in Harris County Precinct 4, it was a regrettable weekend because they were arrested on charges of driving while impaired (DWI). The Harris County Sheriff’s Department started an impaired driver program to cut down on crashes and deaths caused by drunk drivers. This led to a big police operation over the holiday weekend.
The project, which ran from Friday to Monday, was all about finding drunk drivers ahead of time, before they could do any damage on the roads. Deputies in Precinct 4 were very alert. They stopped people for driving violations and looked for signs that someone was drunk.
Over the weekend, police stopped a lot of drivers and gave each one a full sobriety test. All 41 people who were taken were found to be drunk. This proactive method was meant to stop the dangerous effects of drunk driving, which has been a problem on roads all over the country for a long time.
A lot of the people who were arrested were only charged with a first offense, but some of them had more major criminal records. Out of the 41 suspects, five were taken for DWI Third Offense. Paula Bruner, Armando Dehuma, Fernando Rodriguez, Daniel Tam, and Rayumond Mazon are among those charged with this very serious crime. If you get a third DWI, you could face harsh punishments like more time in jail and the loss of your license for good.
Someone else was charged with DWI Second Offense. Charles Zayadeth, Cory Jackson, Adam Frank, and Nashon Ondiek were among them. People who break the law more than once are closely watched by the system and usually get heavier punishments.
Along with the DWI charges, two people were also stopped for carrying a gun without a permit. Kayla Wilson and Joshua Rivas will be charged with having a weapon while drunk because they both had guns on them when they were arrested. In Texas, these kinds of crimes are taken very seriously, and anyone caught in these situations could face more serious criminal charges.
The initiative didn’t end with charges linked to alcohol. When Ryan Hon met with officers, he was arrested for having a controlled substance on him. Just a friendly warning that drunk drivers might be high on more than alcohol, which makes things even more dangerous on the road.
Mark Herman, the constable for Harris County Precinct 4, made it clear that this project is part of a larger effort to keep people safe on the roads. A statement sent to the press by Herman made it clear that drinking and driving would not be allowed in the area.
“All of the suspects were caught, taken to the Harris County Jail, and charged with driving while drunk.” People in Precinct 4 are not allowed to drink and drive. She said, “You choose to go to jail if you choose to drive drunk.”
The numbers are scary. Along with the arrests, the program is a stark warning of how dangerous it is to drive while drunk. According to the latest numbers, driving while drunk is still one of the main reasons people die in car accidents in the United States. Unfortunately, there are a lot more accidents involving drunk drivers over Memorial Day weekend, a holiday that is often linked with travel and fun. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that over 300 people died in crashes caused by drinking and driving over Memorial Day weekend in 2023 alone.
As we move into the summer months, this arrest program makes it even more important to be careful about stopping drunk driving. The Harris County Sheriff’s Department wants people to remember that if they want to drink, they can always find other ways to get home, like approved drivers, ride-sharing services, or public transportation.
People who live in Harris County should think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking. You and other people on the road are at too great of a risk for your own safety and the safety of others to be arrested for DWI. The risk is never worth it.
Police Officer Herman said, “You can choose not to drink and drive, or you can choose to go to jail.”
