turning in a drunk driver

[mariposa1334]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? nc

Is it possible to make an anonymous tip about someone who drives drunk every night and actually get something done about it. This person is driving a scooter because they already have 3 dwi convictions but they drive it home drunk everynight. He works in a restaurant and gets drunk after his shift and then drives about a mile to his home. Will the police actually do something about this?

[Blue Meanie]

Originally Posted by mariposa1334

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? nc

Is it possible to make an anonymous tip about someone who drives drunk every night and actually get something done about it. This person is driving a scooter because they already have 3 dwi convictions but they drive it home drunk everynight. He works in a restaurant and gets drunk after his shift and then drives about a mile to his home. Will the police actually do something about this?

How do you know this person is drunk? Do you have a medical background to determine when a person is under the influence?

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by mariposa1334

Is it possible to make an anonymous tip about someone who drives drunk every night and actually get something done about it.

It's possible that the police might check the area for the person and stop him if they have a reason to believe he violated the law while operating the vehicle, but an anonymous call is not going to be sufficient to prosecute him for anything.

This person is driving a scooter because they already have 3 dwi convictions but they drive it home drunk everynight. He works in a restaurant and gets drunk after his shift and then drives about a mile to his home. Will the police actually do something about this?

All you can do is call them and advise them of what you believe. They might act on it, they might not. They certainly aren't going to sit around all night waiting for him but if they have a head's up maybe one of these times they will see him and find a lawful reason to stop him.

But, operating the scooter after having a little to drink does not necessarily imply he is operating it while unlawfully under the influence.

- Carl

[mariposa1334]

If I have watched them consume 4 or 5 mixed drinks in under an hour I can reasonably assume they are not safe to be on our streets whether I have been medically trained or not.

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by mariposa1334

If I have watched them consume 4 or 5 mixed drinks in under an hour I can reasonably assume they are not safe to be on our streets whether I have been medically trained or not.

You can assume it, but, it does not necessarily mean they ARE. And, an anonymous report is largely worthless as far as the law goes.

If you see him leave, call the police and say he's leaving after having a few to drink. If they have someone in the area to try and check him out, they probably will. But, unless they observes some vehicle code violation it is very unlikely they will just pull him over because an anonymous caller said hew as drinking - that's an invitation to a lawsuit.

If you want to go on record with the call and articulate what you saw ("Yeah, he just had five highballs and he's acting drunk ..."), then you might get a little more immediate action because they would then have a reporting party who could testify as to what he or she saw, and this could help the state make a case and justify the detention to investigate.

- Carl

[mariposa1334]

well I do know in North Carolina a scooter that goes over 30 miles an hour is considered a motorcycle and has to be registered and tagged so I suspect if a Cop were alerted to him they could pull him over for that violation as this scooter will go about 65 or 70 miles an hour and he also has no license which is also required for that type of scooter. I'm not trying to be a jerk but this guy is a danger to others and especially to himself since there isn't much to protect you if you are driving a scooter and have an accident with a car.

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by mariposa1334

well I do know in North Carolina a scooter that goes over 30 miles an hour is considered a motorcycle and has to be registered and tagged so I suspect if a Cop were alerted to him they could pull him over for that violation as this scooter will go about 65 or 70 miles an hour and he also has no license which is also required for that type of scooter. I'm not trying to be a jerk but this guy is a danger to others and especially to himself since there isn't much to protect you if you are driving a scooter and have an accident with a car.

Of course he'll have to be doing over that 30 MPH before the registration violation might stick out to them.

I don't doubt that he might be a danger, but the police don't often go charging out to handle anonymous calls for a host of reasons. It's easy to make an anonymous accusation, and many are made because one party wants to get another in to trouble and sometimes they are made maliciously and without any grounds.

All you can do is make your calls when it happens and wait and see if the police stop him.

- Carl

[mariposa1334]

yeah that's pretty much what I figured. I don't doubt they will catch him eventually as he is usually even going faster than the posted speed limit in that area. I just hope they do before he hurts himself.

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by mariposa1334

yeah that's pretty much what I figured. I don't doubt they will catch him eventually as he is usually even going faster than the posted speed limit in that area. I just hope they do before he hurts himself.

Sure.

I just don't want you to fall into the fallacious thought that I hear a lot of times, "I've called and no one has arrested him! yeah, I called anonymously, but he's breaking the law!"

Unless the crime is obvious, very often we cannot act on anonymous calls absent some other, independent cause.

- Carl

[mariposa1334]

ahahaha yeah I'm aware that legally the police can only do so much about anonymous tips but I had heard that reports of drunk driving are usually followed up on.

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by mariposa1334

ahahaha yeah I'm aware that legally the police can only do so much about anonymous tips but I had heard that reports of drunk driving are usually followed up on.

They try, but depending on how busy the cops are in your area, they may not be able to. In my town we have one guy with an ex wife and an estranged girlfriend who continuously call on him (anonymously, of course) and he has never been observed drinking or caught DUI. If your locals get a number of these types of complaints they may not be too peppy in following up on it.

But, maybe they will. Like I said, make your calls and one of these times someone might be in the area to contact him.

Of course if he downs all those drinks in an hour and then heads out, he may still have a low BAC because the bulk of the alcohol may not have been absorbed into his system, yet ... and if he had been eating anything, it would take even longer to absorb. So even if he does get caught, he might not be DUI.

- Carl

[mariposa1334]

this is very true but he's a little guy about 5'2 so I don't think it would take a lot. I work with the guy and I like him but he obviously has a problem as I said in the first post he's had 3 previous dwi convictions but in NC when you get a 4th you get a mandatory minimum one year sentence which I think would help this guy straighten out a lot. I think he told me on his last dwi he blew a .32. He's lucky he didn't die of alcohol poisoning.

[CdwJava]

Well, a .32 is not necessarily going to kill you but its getting close.

Hopefully he gets help before he kills himself or someone else. But, that will be up to him to decide.

- Carl

[paguy88]

you guys know Kurt Angle the pro wrestler?

He had something like this happen..

tip he drove home drunnk... state police went to his house arrested him.. he refused Blood test.

went to court and it got tossed out by the judge. I do believe he still lost his DL for the refusal.

Look for it online you will find it... if you google it.

[paguy88]

oh and I live in a townhouse.

my neighbors drive drunk near every weekend.

I would never call the cops.. ever though I know they do

but if they ever hit my car... you better believe I will give the local fuzz a call.