Nevada
'We have a DUI problem in the valley': Nevada State Troopers arrest 182 Las Vegas drivers for DUIs in December
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It’s a problem that data shows only seems to be getting worse in Southern Nevada — people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Local law enforcement agencies hold DUI enforcement blitzes throughout the year, that’s nothing new, but perhaps none are more notorious in Las Vegas than the ones held on New Year’s Eve — one of the most dangerous times to be on valley roadways.
This year was no different.
In a 24-hour period from noon this New Year’s Eve to noon on New Year’s Day, Nevada State Police (NSP) Troopers arrested 49 drivers for DUI statewide, a whopping 36 of those were right here in Clark County.
“We do have a DUI problem, impaired driving throughout the valley,” said Trooper Shawn Haggstrom.
Haggstrom said new data shows there were 182 DUI arrests in Las Vegas alone in the month of December.
“I think it’s staggering,” Haggstrom said. “If you think about it, that’s five or six DUI arrests every day.”
Five or six DUI arrests a day can make a difference, because when it comes to fatal crashes: “the two largest contributing factors here in Nevada are speed and impairment,” Haggstrom said.
We know 2024 was a particularly deadly year on our roads, too, with 412 deaths statewide — 293 of those happened right here in Clark County, a 13.6% increase from 2023.
“Even one fatal is too much,” Haggstrom said. “It doesn’t just affect that person that’s gone–that’s a family member, that’s a dad, a cousin, a brother, a friend.”
That’s why as we start a new year, Trooper Haggstrom reminds all of us not to drink and drive.
“Don’t take that risk,” Haggstrom said. “Because once you get in that vehicle, it’s like a 5,000 pound bullet — you can end up killing somebody or seriously injuring somebody.”
Law enforcement around the valley plan to continue working together on DUI blitzes several times in 2025, so make sure you’re planning ahead, identifying a designated driver or using ride shares.
Haggstrom’s message to drivers is simple: “Drive sober, or get pulled over.”
Crime & Court on Channel 13
California Gov. Gavin Newsom won’t admit it, but a move by President Donald Trump is especially helpful to drivers in California — and Nevada.
Gasoline prices are pressuring consumers around the country. On Friday, the average U.S. price was $4.55 a gallon. In California, that would be a bargain. The average there was $6.16 a gallon. Nevada’s average was $5.23 a gallon, the result of around 88 percent of the state’s gasoline coming from California.
It might be getting worse — regardless of what happens in Iran.
In recent months, two major California refineries have shut down. That represented a 17 percent reduction in California’s refining capacity. Their closures weren’t caused by the Iran war, but by Gov. Newsom and California’s relentless attacks on fossil fuels.
To make up for the fuel it won’t extract or refine in-state, California depends on imports from foreign countries.
“We are importing 30 percent of our crude oil from the Middle East,” Mike Ariza, a former control board supervisor at the Valero Benicia Refinery, said in an interview. He has been warning the public about California’s potential fuel shortage. “There are not very many ships left on the way that have fuel,” he said last month.
Last week, KCRA-TV in Sacramento reported that “about 2 million barrels of oil are in the process of being unloaded in Long Beach off of the last California-bound tanker that got through the Strait of Hormuz.”
At a California legislative hearing Tuesday, Siva Gunda, the vice chairman of the California Energy Commission, said the state has enough gasoline to accommodate demand for the next six weeks. That’s not a very long time, especially given that it takes weeks or months for oil to travel from the Middle East to California. And that process won’t begin until the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
There is a region, however, with abundant oil available for sale and safe passage — the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, the Jones Act, an antiquated 1920 law, mandates that only U.S.-flagged ships may move cargo between U.S. ports. But only 55 of the more than 7,000 oil tankers worldwide comply with this requirement.
This is where Mr. Trump rode to the rescue. Late last month, the White House announced Mr. Trump would suspend the Jones Act for another 90 days. In March, he originally waived it for 60 days. This will make it easier for California and Nevada to obtain domestic product.
If only Mr. Trump could also suspend the destructive energy policies imposed by Gov. Newsom and California Democrats.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — An adoptable pet is in the spotlight for “Furever Home Friday,” with Amy from the Nevada SPCA featured in a segment highlighting an animal available for adoption today.
The Nevada SPCA encouraged viewers looking to add a pet to their family to consider adopting.
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