x
Breaking News
More () »

Ottawa County sees uptick in drunk driving cases during pandemic

Since March 11, there have been 25 separate incidents, and some of those resulted in minor injuries.

OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich — A West Michigan county sheriff's department says drunk driving incidents are becoming an almost daily occurrence. 

Since March 11, there have been 25 drunk driving violations in Ottawa County, and some of those involved accidents with minor injuries, according to the sheriff's office. 

Ottawa County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Bennett said this is an uptick compared to the same time period last year. 

"That's a concern for us, obviously it puts more people at risk," Bennett said Friday. 

The risk is heightened during the ongoing pandemic. Both deputies on patrol and at the jail, as well as inmates, are all at risk of exposure when people are arrested and then booked into the jail. 

Even so, Bennett said the county is not letting up at all on enforcement.

"To the contrary, we are enforcing those safety violations very stringently," he said Friday. 

Amid the stay at home order, many people are opting for the outdoors, which gives the sheriff's office even more cause for concern seeing more impaired drivers on the road. 

"Drivers really have to be aware of the pedestrians out there and mixing alcohol with that is a very dangerous combination," Bennett said. 

Bennett said while bars and restaurants have been closed, deputies are finding that people are gathering to drink at each other's homes and then getting behind the wheel. Some of those 25 instances also included people operating ATVs under the influence. 

"If you're going to consume, stay off the roads always, but especially now,” Bennett said.

More stories on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:

RELATED VIDEO:

► Emma Nicolas is a multimedia journalist. Have a news tip or question for Emma? Get in touch by email, Facebook or Twitter.

Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.

Before You Leave, Check This Out