CHARLESTON, SC NEWS - LIVE 5 WCSC Breaking News, Weather, SportsPutting a stop to drunk driving
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CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Drivers used to seeing DUI checkpoints on holiday weekends had a big surprise early Saturday morning.
"We're trying to let drivers know throughout South Carolina that we don't just work on holidays," said Cpl. Paul Brouthers of the SC Highway Patrol.
Officers with Highway Patrol and the Charleston Police Department set up shop on Huger Street in Downtown Charleston looking for drunken drivers.
They were set up all over the state making sure there weren't any drunken drivers on the road.
While the checkpoint is meant to curb drunken driving that's not its main function.
They made arrests for a wide range of offenses.
"People who are driving under suspension, weapons violation, fugitive from justice warrants - you name it we're looking for it," said Brouthers.
They wrote 45 tickets including three open container violations, a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt and eight DUI's, including one woman who brought her drink on the road.
Highway Patrol says events like these are meant to keep the streets safe and remind the public that they're out there, holiday or not.
"We also work at any given time at any given location," said Brouthers. "The highway patrol, along with our local law enforcement partners, are very serious about removing DUI offenders off the roadways of South Carolina."
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