Hawaii Island police arrest 24 for suspected DUI

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

Hawaii Island police arrested 24 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant between March 21 and Sunday. Nine of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes. Three were younger than age 21. More than half were arrested on the leeward side of the island.

Hawaii Island police arrested 24 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant between March 21 and Sunday. Nine of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes. Three were younger than age 21. More than half were arrested on the leeward side of the island.

So far this year, there have been 275 DUI arrests compared with 225 during the same period last year, an increase of 22.2 percent, according to the Hawaii Police Department.

Nearly half of the most recent arrests took place in Kona, where officers arrested 11 people, bringing the district total to 106 so far this year. Two people were arrested in South Kohala, raising the district’s total to 18.

South Hilo officers arrested seven motorist and Puna officers four.

Three districts had no new arrests.

There have been 334 major accidents this year compared with 353, down 5.4 percent, according to police.

As of Sunday, there had been four fatal accidents on public roadways this year, leading to five deaths. A fatality in Puna early Monday is not included in this count.