Sweep in Valley Nets 115 Suspects

A police task force arrested 115 drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs during a two-night sweep in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said Sunday.

More than 50 police officers patrolled streets in the Pacoima, Sunland and Tujunga areas Friday and Saturday nights looking for drugged or drunken drivers, Sgt. Mike Pattee said. The unit included several officers trained to recognize symptoms of substance abuse.

Many Fatalities

Officer Richard Newenschwander said Pacoima was targeted because it has the highest number of fatal accidents in the San Fernando Valley. “There are a lot of bars up there, and whenever you have a lot of bars, you have a lot of drunks,” he said.

Pattee said about 80% of the drivers arrested were suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, while the others were suspected of using drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol.

Most of the drivers were processed through the immediate booking and release system, which uses two converted buses to hold those arrested until they are picked up by friends or relatives.

Fatality on PCH

Meanwhile, in Santa Monica, police were trying to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in a collision on the Pacific Coast Highway that left one man dead and and five other people injured.

Eric Nelson, 25, was killed in the three-car crash that occurred at about 11 p.m. Saturday night just north of the Santa Monica Pier, police said.

The Oxnard man was a passenger in a northbound Pontiac Fiero that was making a left turn into a beach parking lot and was struck by a southbound Mazda, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. W. Harry Kutzbach.

Nelson was thrown from the car and hit by a Porsche that was also heading south. He was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center shortly after midnight.

Driver Survives

The driver of the Fiero, a 22-year-old woman, was in good condition Sunday at UCLA Medical Center, authorities said. Kutzbach said a blood sample taken from the woman was being examined to determine whether she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.

He said that if the tests are positive, she could be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Another passenger in the Fiero, who was riding on Nelson’s lap, was listed in good condition at UCLA Medical Center, officials said. “It is amazing that she was not killed too,” Kutzbach said.

Authorities said the driver of the Porsche, her passenger and a passenger in the Mazda were taken to Santa Monica Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released.