newsroom

Officers stun DUI suspect who drove car through sunken lawn at Lindenwood

News-Democrat

A young man was arrested for suspected DUI Tuesday night in Belleville after he struck a car and then drove across the sunken lawn in front of Lindenwood University, according to St. Clair County Sheriff's Master Sgt. Clinton Mason.

The suspect's car finally came to a rest on West Main Street, a couple of blocks east of where the original crash occurred at about 9:45 p.m. Officers stunned the driver with a Taser when he bailed out of the car, Mason said.

His two passengers were not arrested. No serious injuries were reported.

Lindenwood University in Belleville - Tim Vizer/BND

The suspect's car sustained heavy damage to its front-end. A shorn front bumper, pieces of broken concrete and track marks provided evidence of his off-road journey.

The suspect, whose name and age were not immediately available, cussed at officers while they investigated the crash.

Read more: http://www.bnd.com/2011/11/01/1925005/impromptu-lawn-job-across-lindenwood.html#ixzz1ceQGeYzG

FELONY DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

On May 19^th, 2011 at 11:45 PM, during the Parkfield Terrace Operation, Inv. Scott Toth stopped a White Chevrolet Pickup because the driver did not have a seat belt on. The vehicle was driving very fast towards several Deputies who were parked on the side of the road at Moussette at Lorraine Drive, Cahokia. The driver had a suspended driver’s license and was highly intoxicated. He was arrested for Felony DUI. On May 21^st, 2011 St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly charged the subject with FELONY DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL and a Judge issued a $25,000.00 bond.

The subject, Travis Barton  listed below is still in the St. Clair County Jail:

More than 300 vehicles stopped, 243 citations issued in Belleville area

Grant paid for extra officers during Labor Day week

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN
News-Democrat

 More than 300 vehicles were stopped and 243 citations were issued during an 11-day saturation of law enforcement patrols and roadside safety checks in the Belleville area.

 The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department received a $12,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to pay for extra deputies and patrols on the roads from Aug. 27 through Monday, according to St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson.

 The grant paid for 34 extra deputies to patrol during late night hours.

During the campaign, 243 citations were issued including:

 * 24 citations/arrests for driving under the influence

 * 23 citations for illegal transportation of alcohol

 * 32 speeding citations

 * 11 safety belt violations

 * 26 child passenger restraint violations

 "Every one of those 24 DUIs arrested could have resulted in the loss of a family," Johnson said.

Road Side Safety Checkpoints STATS

 

Road Side Safety Checkpoints STATS

Friday night the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police conducted road side safety check points in the Village of Washington Park and closely surrounding areas. The emphasis for the safety checkpoints was safety belt usage for adults and children and to make the roads safer from drunk and impaired drivers. Capt. Steve Johnson said, “Making the roadways safer for all of us and our families during a holiday weekend is very important.:

St. Clair County man accused of drunken lawnmower driving

 

News-Democrat

Although his driver's license had already been revoked due to a driving under the influence conviction, a St. Clair County man drove up to the local gas station to buy more beer any way, police said.

On his yellow 2007 Cub Cadet lawnmower.

Dennis D. Cretton, 49, of 29 Dianne Drive near Belleville, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence after neighbors reported he was driving the lawnmower down Dianne Drive about 9 p.m. Friday. St. Clair County Sheriff's deputies had received several complaints in the past about Cretton driving his mower while drunk but were never able to catch him driving it.

Police use checkpoints to catch drunken motorists entering East St. Louis

BY JACQUELINE LEE AND CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS -- Law enforcement officials made it clear to motorists early Saturday that they were not tolerating any illegal activity as they towed more than 30 cars and made about the same number of arrests at safety check points.

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department had 25 deputies and Illinois State Police had 25 troopers participate in the operation designed to curb the crime that results from intoxicated motorists driving to the nightclubs in East St. Louis after liquor establishments in St. Louis close.

8 arrested on DUI charges during St. Clair County holiday patrols

Thursday, Jan. 08, 2009

News-Democrat

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department was out in force during the holiday weekend and arrested several people accused of drunken driving.

Deputies arrested eight people between Jan. 1 and Jan. 3 for alleged drunken driving. Of those, three were charged with felony DUI and five were cited for misdemeanor DUI.

The increased patrols during the holiday weekend were funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

William Hamilton. - Provided to BND

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

William R. Hamilton, 50, of 625 W. Lincoln in Belleville, was arrested Jan. 2 near West Lincoln and Centreville Avenue in Belleville for suspicion of DUI. On Saturday Hamilton was charged with felony DUI and felony driving on a revoked driver's license. His bail was set at $10,000. Hamilton posted bond and was released Saturday.

Dean A. Muckensturm, 30, of 303 S. 16th St. in Belleville was arrested Jan. 2 near Carlyle Avenue and West Boulevard in Belleville under suspicioun of DUI. On Saturday Muckensturm was charged with felony DUI. He has four previous DUI convictions. Muckensturm posted bond on $20,000 bail and was released from jail Saturday night.

Joseph S. Domingos, 41, of 510 Monica in Belleville was arrested Jan. 3 on Monica Drive in unicorporated Belleville. He is charged with felony DUI and felony driving on a revoked drivers license. Domingos' bail was set at $50,000. He remains in custody at the St. Clair County Jail.

On Jan. 1 new laws went into effect for those convicted of driving under the influence alcohol. Those convicted are required to install a breath alcohol ignition interlock device in his or her vehicle in order to drive during the time of the license suspension. The individual will have to breathe into the device before the engine will start and will be required to submit additional breath samples at random intervals while the car is in motion. If the breath sample shows a blood-alcohol content of .025 percent or more, the engine will not start.

The new year also toughens up existing DUI laws. First-time offenders who test higher than .08 on a breath-alcohol test also will receive a six-month suspension. The suspension was three months last year. First-time offenders who refuse to submit to a breath-alcohol test will receive a one-year suspension instead of a six-month suspension. The suspensions go into effect 46 days after the arrest/test date.

St. Clair County man charged with his seventh DUI in a year

BY GEORGE PAWLACZYK - News-Democrat

MILLSTADT -- Matthew B. Roth was charged Thursday with his seventh DUI since last year following an accident that occurred after several motorists had to drive off the road to avoid being hit, police said.

Roth, 48, is being held in the St. Clair County Jail following his arrest at 8:50 p.m. just outside Millstadt near Illinois 158 and Douglas St. According to the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, Roth is being held on a misdemeanor drunk driving charge while an application for a felony DUI charge is being processed.

In May, after several News-Democrat articles concerning how Roth managed to be arrested multiple times for DUI and still keep his driving privleges, Roth was arrested at a Veteran's Administration Hospital in St. Louis and held on $100,000 bail. He was released in August after serving 77 days. His felony charge from that arrest is still pending.

Roth has four DUI convictions in Missouri.

When Roth failed to show up in court on the May charge, Sheriff's Department Capt. Steve Johnson and other investigators staked out Roth's girlfriend's home in Freeburg. The officers eventually learned that Roth, a former Marine, had fled to the hospital and checked himself in.

Sheriff's officer nabs two repeat drunken driving offenders

more Ninja pictures here.

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN

News-Democrat

A St. Clair County Sheriff's Department officer on extra duty paid for by a grant to crack down on DUIs netted two repeat drunken driving offenders.

Trisha L. Starks, 30, of 298 Revere Drive in Belleville, was arrested after she was stopped by St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson at Illinois 159 and Freeburg Road on June 20. She did not have a valid driver's license because of a previous drunken driving conviction, according to the police report.

Starks was charged with felony aggravated drunkenen driving and driving with a revoked license. Her bond was set at $10,000.

Robert R. Rogers, 27, of 2311 Kennedy Lane in Highland, was charged with felony aggravated drunken driving after he was stopped by Johnson in Smithton and failed field sobriety tests.

A check of the man's license determined his license was suspended for a previous DUI conviction.

A judge set his bail at $10,000. Rogers' 2007 Black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle was impounded and will be seized per felony DUI laws.

Johnson was working extra duty funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to arrest and deter drunken drivers. The grant pays for the sheriff's department ot have as many as five additional deputies working a week to crack down on driving under the influence.

Contact reporter Jennifer A. Bowen at jbowen@bnd.com or 239-2667.

County will be checking for drunk drivers, seatbelt violators

News-Democrat

Deputies with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department will be out conducting roadside safety checks Friday.

The checkpoints will be set up in the Cahokia, Centreville and Alorton area.

Officers will be on the lookout for drunk drivers, seatbelt violations and any other safety related road violations.