Big Island police arrest 21 for suspected DUI

KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii Island police arrested 21 motorists for suspected drunken driving between Oct. 14 and Sunday. Eight of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash and one was younger than age 21.

Kona officers arrested seven drivers while Puna officers arrested five, according to data released Monday afternoon by the Hawaii Police Department. Officers in South Kohala and Hilo arrested four motorists in each district and Ka‘u officers nabbed one.

So far this year, there have been 896 DUI arrests compared with 889 during the same period last year, according to police. There have been 782 major accidents so far this year compared with 977 during the same period last year.

Fifteen fatalities had been recorded on Hawaii Island’s public roadways through Monday afternoon, police said. By this time in 2018, 26 people had perished.