On the night of Friday, May 2, law enforcement authorities in Cypress arrested at least one suspected drunk driver at their DUI checkpoint. The suspect allegedly crashed into two cars that were stopped at the checkpoint around 8:30 PM, according to the Orange County Register.
The checkpoint was at the intersection of Valley View and Lincoln. Nearly 200 cars had passed through without incident or arrest before the crash occurred. Several people suffered moderate injuries in the crash and the driver has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting arrest, hit-and-run with injury and violence against a police officer. The Register reports that the suspect ran from the scene and was quickly apprehended by police.
The driver may or may not have been drinking and driving but seems to clearly have been at the wheel when the crash occurred. While the suspect should certainly not have answered any of the police officers' questions and provided them only with the legally necessary identification, he should not have run from the scene. He should have called an experienced DUI defense attorney immediately. While a skilled attorney can still protect his rights despite the challenges in his case, his defense would likely be far less complex had he simply cooperated with police, remained silent and contacted an attorney in the immediate aftermath of the crash.