California drunk driver nabbed after hitting drunk driving sign

Palm Springs, California – A drunk driver in California smashed into a sign warning that police were on the hunt for anyone driving under the influence – and was promptly arrested.

The Palm Springs Police Department shared photos of the smashed DUI warning sign and checkpoint at the scene of the crime in August.
The Palm Springs Police Department shared photos of the smashed DUI warning sign and checkpoint at the scene of the crime in August.  © Collage: Screenshot/Facebook/Palm Springs Police Department, CA

Clarissa Hernandez drank a large amount of tequila before she plowed into an electronic signboard in Palm Springs in August, according to police.

Officers manning the DUI checkpoint a few steps away rushed over to the mangled Land Rover as Hernandez staggered free.

"Her eyes were bloodshot, red and watery, and her speech was slurred. She swayed forward and back continuously," a Palm Springs Police Department officer identified as J. Valdiva wrote in a report.

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"She was angry, argumentative, and hostile," the officer wrote, adding that when questioned, Hernandez said she had polished off her tequila just 10 minutes before the crash.

Police also said in a Facebook post that her car "nearly collided with a group of pedestrians" before hitting the signboard.

The 27-year-old from Texas admitted one misdemeanor count each of willfully resisting, and driving under the influence of alcohol when she appeared in court on Wednesday.

She was sentenced to three years' probation, Riverside County District Attorney's office said.

Police in California frequently set up checkpoints in an effort to catch unlicensed, uninsured, or impaired drivers. But according to state laws, they have to warn motorists of the presence of the checkpoint, which they sometimes do with electronic signboards.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Facebook/Palm Springs Police Department, CA

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