California man says ‘I’m the DUI’ during arrest for drunken driving in Murrieta

A man in California was arrested shortly after the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1 for drunken driving after he claimed to be “the DUI” during a traffic stop.

The Murrieta Police Department in Southern California shared a bodycam video of the encounter on its Instagram page on Thursday.

The driver was pulled over for a potential DUI investigation after a Murrieta Officer Bridgewaters noticed him swerving across the roadway at 12:40 a.m. on Jan. 1.

During the stop, the officer asked the driver where he was coming from, to which he responded, in part, “I was just dropping off my friend because I’m the DUI tonight.”

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The officer can be heard on the video asking the driver if he’s the “DUI,” then correcting him by saying he likely meant to say he’s the “DD,” which stands for designated driver.

The driver, who was speechless after the correction, ultimately admitted to drinking some champagne and beer before consenting to taking field sobriety tests.

He nearly fell over multiple times during the sobriety tests and was taken to jail for driving under the influence.

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The police department said it employs two officers who “specialize in DUI investigations” and have additional training in detecting and investigating impaired drivers. 

MPD’s traffic bureau also regularly conducts checkpoints to “further deter drunk driving,” according to the department.

The department reminded drivers to celebrate responsibly after sharing that 37 people die every day in America in crashes related to driving under the influence.

In 2022, 13,524 people were killed at the hands of alcohol-impaired driving, MPD said in its post.