Drunk Driving Avoidance Campaign Highlighted at Scene of Fatal Crash
Santa Barbara County and Goleta Officials Say, "Do Not Drive Under the Influence This Long Holiday Weekend"
“Driving under the influence is a horrific, violent act,” said District Attorney John Savrnoch during a gathering on Thursday at Cathedral Oaks and North Kellogg Avenue, the site of a fiery truck crash in April during which one young man died and two others, including the driver, suffered severe burns. The 18-year-old driver was charged with drunk driving and died of his injuries less than two weeks later.
Savrnoch was joined by area officials and the man who had pulled two of the people from the crash, Erron Vela, to highlight the deadly nature of the upcoming Fourth of July weekend when alcohol and vehicles combine to cause fatal traffic accidents.
“I almost lost my dad in 1996 when a drunk driver struck my parents on Highway 154,” said 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps, daughter of congressmember and beloved UCSB professor Walter Capps, who died in 1997. She noted that the neighbors along Cathedral Oaks call the area the DUI Corridor for the number of crashes and deaths they’ve seen.
Although drunk-driving deaths nationwide have decreased since the 1980s after law enforcement and public officials began sending zero-tolerance messages before the July 4 holiday, Savrnoch said that DUI cases overall were rising in Santa Barbara County — rising from 2,061 cases in 2021 to 2,324 in 2022. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in the area has support services for victims and survivors, said Victoria Placencia. “If you, or someone you love, has been a victim of this crime, you can contact MADD Victim Advocate, 24 hours a day, at our victim helpline at 1-877-MAD-HELP, or 1-877-623-3435,” Placencia said.
