MESA, AZ — Mothers Against Drunk Driving says Memorial Day weekend is one of the deadliest periods on the calendar, and the group estimates one-third of holiday crashes nationwide involve drivers who are intoxicated.
Mesa police are joining a statewide DUI task force this holiday, part of an effort led by the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety that will deploy officers from 10 Valley police departments to patrol the East Valley this weekend.
The intensified enforcement comes as Sheila Chacone describes the lasting pain of losing her 35-year-old son, Truman Heinicke, on Memorial Day weekend 2020. Heinicke and another rider were killed when the ATV they were on struck a tree in the hills of Gila County, Chacone said.
“It was just that fast. You never, ever know. It’s just that quick,” Chacone said. “None of us will ever be the same. I’ll never be the same. I lost our son, our oldest child.”
Chacone, now an active speaker with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, urges people to make plans before they consume alcohol. “Have a plan. Go have a great time. I’m not discouraging that, but have a plan in place before you take that first drink. Who’s driving?” she said.
Sgt. George Chwe, a traffic sergeant with the Mesa Police Department, said the task force is assembled each Memorial Day and can result in as many as 40 DUI arrests. He said public visibility and contact with officers serve both to deter impaired driving and to hold offenders accountable.
“If you’re contacted for impaired driving, you’re going to be held accountable for that, but the biggest difference is that public interaction, letting people know we’re out there and being visible,” Chwe said.
Chwe said he believes public service announcements have helped reduce alcohol-impaired driving but that the department is seeing a growing number of impairment arrests tied to marijuana. He reminded drivers that legalization does not make it legal or safe to drive high.
“Just because pot is legal, doesn’t mean driving high is OK,” Chwe said.
The increased patrols aim to keep roadways safer during the holiday and to prevent tragedies like the one Chacone described. “Our goal is ultimately to make our roadways safer during the holiday weekend,” Chwe said.
