Officials in Fresno County are reporting an increase in drunk driving cases as the holiday season approaches

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — Fresno County is seeing an increase in DUI cases and law enforcement leaders are bracing for more drunk driving as we head into the holiday season.

“This is an epidemic. We are at the same point now with drunk driving as we are with fentanyl,” said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp.

Smittcamp was joined by other county law enforcement leaders and a man who lost his entire family in a drunk driving accident.

“Be a good friend, if your friends want to party, make sure they don’t drive anymore and maybe someone won’t have to live what I live,” said Juan Pulido.

Pulido’s wife and four children, along with two nieces and a nephew, died on New Year’s Day 2021 on Highway 33 outside Coalinga.

The California Highway Patrol said the drunk driver, who also died, was going about 100 miles per hour when he crashed into the Pulidos’ truck.

“It’s not easy to wake up knowing that you’re not waking up with your family or coming home from work to your family. It wasn’t easy, I haven’t been able to process it,” Pulido said.

That tragic accident was one of thousands of drunk driving cases in Fresno County in recent years.

In 2022, there were 4,162 DUI cases (both misdemeanors and misdemeanors).

Last year there were 5,157 cases.

So far this year, there have been 3,798 DUIs in the county, with two months to go.

“If you are convicted of driving under the influence, whether it is a misdemeanor or misdemeanor, and you decide to do so again, you can and will be prosecuted for murder if you engage in that behavior and someone is killed” , Smittcamp said.

She urged people to make a plan before you start drinking, have a designated sober driver or use a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft.

“There’s just no excuse. And honestly, if you get arrested for driving under the influence, you’re lucky. You can take a life and then have to live with that for the rest of your life,” Chief Mindy Casto said. from the Fresno Police Department.

Follow Nic Garcia for news updates Facebook, Tweet And Instagram.