Shortly after ringing in the New Year, a Californian man found himself in a predicament when he inadvertently confessed to driving under the influence during a traffic stop. The Murrieta Police Department released bodycam footage of the incident, which quickly gained attention online.

Just 40 minutes past midnight on January 1st, an officer noticed the driver swerving erratically and initiated a traffic stop. Upon questioning the driver's origin, the man responded with the incriminating statement, "I was just dropping off my friend because I'm the DUI tonight." The officer, seemingly taken aback, clarified whether the driver meant to say he was the designated driver (DD). A moment of stunned silence followed before the driver admitted to consuming champagne and beer earlier that evening.

Subsequent field sobriety tests saw the driver struggling to maintain his balance, nearly falling multiple times. He was subsequently arrested for DUI. The Murrieta Police Department highlighted its specialized DUI investigation unit, staffed by two highly trained officers. They emphasized their ongoing efforts to deter drunk driving through regular checkpoints.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of drunk driving. The department underscored this point by sharing the alarming statistic that 37 lives are lost daily in the United States due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes. In 2022 alone, over 13,500 fatalities were attributed to drunk driving. The Murrieta Police Department encourages everyone to celebrate responsibly and plan for safe transportation if alcohol is involved.