Police arrested 15 for suspected DUI last week

Big Island police arrested 15 motorists for suspected drunken driving Aug. 16 and Sunday. Four of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes and one was younger than age 21.

South Hilo officers arrested seven drivers, Kona officers arrest five, and North Kohala officers three according to data released Tuesday by the Hawaii Police Department.

So far this year, there have been 715 DUI arrests compared with 595 during the same period last year, according to police.

There have been 512 major accidents so far this year compared with 495 during the same period last year.

As of Tuesday, 14 fatalities have been recorded on the Big Island’s public roadways this year, police said. By this time in 2020, 12 people had died.