2024 CHP New Year’s MEP Figures A Mixed Bag
Sonora, CA — Statewide, the number of CHP New Year Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) DUIs is up from the Christmas MEP, with the Mother Lode a mixed bag that included one fatal crash.
As we reported during the Christmas MEP in 2023, driving under the influence was a concern as officers made more than 900 DUI arrests. This Christmas, that number went down to 308 then back up to 481 over the two-day New Year’s MEP, running from December 31 at 6:01 p.m. to January 1 at 11:59 p.m. Officers cited 9,951 drivers for speeding, seatbelt violations, and other traffic infractions. There were an additional 14,437 enforcement actions taken, which were not defined and no number has been released yet on the number of fatalities.
In Tuolumne County, the Sonora unit of the CHP made 14 enforcement stops for the New Year’s MEP, including distracted driving, no seat belts, and speeding, down from 21 over the Christmas MEP. The number of collisions on the county’s highways jumped from five over Christmas to eight for New Year’s, and DUIs went up from none to two, one for alcohol and one for drugs. However, the trend of no fatal crashes continues.
The CHP San Andreas Unit had been cheering no DUI arrests or fatal collisions over the Christmas MEP, but that trend did not last. In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, a deadly crash occurred on Highway 12 near Central Hill Road in the San Andreas area. 21-year-old Shawnee Stott of Angels Camp died at the scene of the rollover collision and the driver is suspected of drinking and driving. Over the two days, 29 citations were issued primarily for speed, with a few distracted and following too closely handed out, one more than the 28 during the Christmas MEP.
