Huntington Park : Drunks to Get Damage Bills
The Huntington Park City Council has voted to begin charging drunk drivers up to $500 for damages they cause in traffic accidents.
Under a recent law, drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs who are involved in a traffic accident are held liable for the expense of emergency response by public agencies. The law allows public agencies, such as police departments, to recover some of their costs.
A police staff report states that the city could recover as much as $23,000 a year, based on the number of accidents that occurred during fiscal 1985-86 and an average of 162 minutes spent by police officers on each accident
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