Los Banos DUI, license checkpoint planned Monday

The Los Banos Police Department will conduct a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint in the city Monday.

The checkpoint will be active between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. the following morning, according to a news release.

Officers will look for signs of alcohol and drug impairment at the checkpoint. They also will be checking for proper licensing, “delaying motorists only momentarily,” according to the release.

Several recent DUI crashes have been reported in the Los Banos area.

Visalia resident Vanessa Bueno is being charged in the death of her son after crashing a vehicle June 26 north of Los Banos on Highway 165. Bueno’s was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.15, almost twice the legal limit, authorities said.

A vehicle carrying several current and former Pacheco High School football players led police on a brief chase on May 27 before crashing on Dove Street at Highway 165. The 16-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana, officers said.

In July 2015, a 61-year-old man died in Los Banos after he was struck by a car driven by Clovis resident Marcus Perez-Negrete, who was arrested on suspicion of racing and driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to the news release, 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. Marijuana was the most prevalent substance that a study of active drivers tested positive for, at 7.4 percent. That was slightly higher than those testing positive for alcohol, at 7.3 percent.

“Drivers caught driving impaired can expect ... jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out,” according to the release.

The checkpoint is being funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Los Banos DUI, license checkpoint planned Monday."