Law enforcement targets impaired drivers to keep roads safe for St. Patrick’s Day weekend - KLAS - 8 News Now
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As many people head out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Southern Nevada, local law enforcement agencies are joining forces to keep impaired drivers off the roads.
The ‘Joining Forces’ initiative, which will stay in effect from March 17 to March 22, involves Nevada State Police, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, North Las Vegas Police, Henderson Police, and Clark County School District Police.
Officers told 8 News Now they want to keep DUI offenders off the road and avoid deadly crashes.
JoAnn Ehresmann, who spoke with 8 News Now Thursday, has been forced to face devastation few could imagine after her husband of nearly 20 years died in a crash Tuesday.
“I kept expecting him to come home,” Ehresmann recalled.
According to police, Steve Ehresmann was driving near his home in North Las Vegas, when another driver hit his sedan.
“They said my husband didn’t even know what hit him,” JoAnn told 8 News Now. “He died instantly.”
Officers said that driver, who court records identified as 36-year-old Pedro Martinez Ocampo, was speeding and driving under the influence.
“People that drink and drive, they say they are not going to do it again,” JoAnn Ehresmann said. “But they do.”
JoAnn said her life will never be the same, and she is one of so many affected by similar situations in Southern Nevada.
In 2021, The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said 50 people died in DUI crashes in its jurisdiction.
“There’s no excuse ever to drive impaired,” Trooper Ashlee Wellman, Public Information Officer for Nevada State Police said.
As we head through the holiday weekend, Trooper Wellman told 8 News Now the Joining Forces initiative is meant to get impaired drivers off the road before it’s too late.
“We will be out there in numbers,” Trooper Wellman said. “Really present, to try and make sure we can prevent any other fatalities from happening.”
They hope these efforts to promote safer roads will keep others from experiencing situations similar to JoAnn’s suffering.
“I’m just going to miss my husband,” Ehresmann concluded. “For the rest of my life.”
Nevada State Police will host its next Joining Forces initiative in April to target distracted drivers.
Sherry's Forecast: Friday, March 18Plenty of good sunshine and easy light winds for our Friday. More clouds and gusty winds return for the weekend and our first chance of spring showers as the seasons change. Sherry's most accurate #WeatherNOW forecast has the blustery finish to winter and a big warm-up for the first week of spring.
CONNECTING...source: https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/law-enforcement-targets-impaired-drivers-to-keep-roads-safe-for-st-patricks-day-weekend/
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