23 arrested for suspected drunken driving

Hawaii Island police arrested 23 motorists for suspected drunken driving between Aug. 17 and Sunday. None of the drivers was involved in a traffic crash and four were younger than age 21.

Kona officers arrested nine of the drivers while South Hilo officers arrested eight and Puna officers five, according to data released Tuesday by the Hawaii Police Department. Officers in South Kohala arrested one motorist.

So far this year, there have been 597 DUI arrests compared with 727 during the same period last year, according to police. There have been 493 major accidents so far this year compared with 623 during the same period last year.

Twelve fatalities have been recorded on Hawaii Island’s public roadways through Tuesday morning, police said. By this time in 2019, 13 people had perished.