Champaign Co. deputies issue 12 tickets, 13 warnings during ‘Saturation Saturday’

SAVOY, Ill. (WCIA) — A recent impaired driving detail by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office in Savoy resulted in 25 tickets and warnings being issued.

The Sheriff’s Office participated Saturday in a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) “Saturation Saturday” detail. It was part of a nationwide effort by law enforcement to crack down on impaired drivers, getting them of the streets before they cause a crash.

“Our ultimate goal is to deter individuals who may be impaired from operating a motor vehicle in the first place, so they don’t have the opportunity to be involved in a motor vehicle accident,” said Sheriff Dustin Heuerman. “With this goal in mind, this detail was a success.”

Saturday’s detail resulted in no arrests, Heuerman said, but deputies did make 23 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 12 tickets and 13 warnings for various violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code, including one Scott’s Law violation.

Last year, Champaign County Sheriff’s deputies made 91 arrests for driving under the influence and found DUI to be a contributing factor in 32 crashes. So far this year, they’ve made 51 arrests and investigated 14 crashes where DUI was a contributing factor.

The Sheriff’s Office’s “Saturation Saturday” detail is only one part of its efforts to crack down on impaired driving leading up to Labor Day. IDOT, the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies like the Sheriff’s Office will be participating in this broader enforcement effort.

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