Summer months are the most deadly on Missouri Highways and the HEAT is On campaign aims to keep fatalities and injuries down. More than a thousand people were killed during July, August and September over Lt. Col. Richard Coffey, Asstistant Superintendent of Missouri Highway Patrol, says each of those contributing factors comes down to personal choice. The patrol reports that so far this year there have been 375 fatalaties compared to 445 this time last year — a 15 percent decrease. Coffey says enforcement’s goal is to see that downward trend continue. Coffey says during the summer season last year, 251 people were killed and nearly two thousand suffered disabling injuries. Coffey says the patrol hopes to lower the number of fatalities to fewer than 850 by 2012, a goal that can only be achieved if summer accidents decrease. The patrol reminds motorists that seatbelt enforcement is also a priority. 
the last four years. That’s why HEAT, high enforcement action teams, are forming a strategic initiative to crack down on the three main causes of dangerous crashes — alcohol, inattention and speed.
Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]
Motorists warned: The HEAT is on
Department of Public Safety hosts conference on fighting underage drinking
Dozens of law enforcement officers from throughout the state are spending three days in Jefferson City, attending a conference on how best to combat underage drinking.
While part of the gathering gives police, sheriffs, State Water Patrol, and State Highway Patrol officers the opportunity to exchange tips on how best to deal with underage drinking, it is also giving officers the chance to put some of what they know into practice. Tuesday night, for instance, officers and young adults under the age of 21 staged sting operations.
Special Agent Nancy McGee with the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control says during one-third of the checks alcohol was sold to those younger than 21. McGee says that’s a good night, though, because the average sting operation finds alcohol sold to underage buyers about 40 percent of the time.
Public Safety Director Mark James says failure to comply with the law has its consequences – not just for the young person who is not old enough to purchase alcohol, but for the server or seller of the alcohol and the licensee of the bar or store selling alcohol.
Loophole Used by Lawmaker to Avoid Drunk Driving Charge Closed
A new law will go into effect this year that closes a loophole a state lawmaker exploited to avoid a drunken driving conviction.
A law approved in 1982 required the use of a non-alcoholic antiseptic swab before blood could be drawn to determine a suspect’s blood alcohol content. Prosecutors dismissed a drunk driving charge against Representative Charles Portwood (R-Ballwin) in 2006, because a hospital nurse used the wrong kind of swab during the blood test after an accident in Manchester in 2004. Portwood’s blood test indicated his blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit, but Portwood argued that the alcohol on the swab distorted the results. Portwood settled his case by pleading guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.
Governor Blunt has signed the bill into law saying numerous studies have shown that alcohol wipes have no impact on blood samples. The State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys Association pushed for the change.
State Clears Restaurant in Ballplayer’s Death
State officials say a two-week investigation has found no credible evidence that Mike Shannon’s restaurant served drinks to St. Louis Cardinals baseball player Josh Hancock, knowing that he was drunk.
Hancock died in a traffic crash April 29th in St. Louis. Hancock’s blood alcohol content was Point-157, twice the legal limit. The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control says it will take no administrative action against the restaurant’s license. The division has the authority to discipline establishments that knowingly serve alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person.
State officials say those interviewed described Hancock as drinking in moderation and talking with teammates and friends at the restaurant prior to his fatal accident.
Bill Aims to Crack Down on School Bus Drivers Committing DWI Offenses
Legislation before a Senate committee would make things tougher than they already are for school bus drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated on the job. Senator Norma Champion (R-Springfield) says this is a bill that toughens the current laws regarding bus drivers who are legally drunk while behind the wheel. This particular lifetime ban on driving any school bus would only affect a driver who has been driving while intoxicated while driving a school bus. The legislation, however, would require any driver arrested for drinking and driving outside his or her work hours to inform the employer before getting back into the driver’s seat.
Related web sites:
Missouri SB 24
