The following article was posted on www.todaystmj4.com
Sheriff: Most Drunk Driving Deaths Occur In "Death Valley"
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has labeled a stretch of freeway where the most drunk driving accidents happen "Death Valley."
Sheriff Clarke said Thursday that deputies make a drunken driving arrest every 59 minutes on roads you drive every day.
"Death Valley" includes I-43 north bound from Capitol to Layton, I-94 from downtown to the Waukesha County line and 894 from I-94 south to the Hale Interchange.
"If you're in the zone right here, you're in a high risk of driving along with someone who's drunk," Sheriff Clarke said, pointing to a map.
Sheriff Clarke says his deputies have made over 900 arrests so far this year county wide. Most of those arrests have occurred in "Death Valley."
The arrests occur mainly between 8:00 Friday night and 3:00 Sunday morning.
Sheriff Clarke says most of the arrests occur after deputies spot people driving erratically and pull them over.
Many of those arrested have a history of drunk driving. One man was recently arrested for his seventh OWI. That's why Sheriff Clarke wants stricter sentences and sobriety checkpoints.
Milwaukee County resident Josh Willis was surprised to learn that most of the drunk driving arrests happen on our county freeways.
"I would imagine the most dangerous areas wouldn't be on the freeway, but on the roads closest to the bars," Willis said.
Sheriff Clarke is setting up a Drunk Driving Task Force to help combat this problem.
Sheriff Clarke says most of the people who are arrested are found to be at least twice the legal limit.
