St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office secures the streets to keep drivers safe from possible drunk drivers

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office along with the St. Augustine Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol are pushing to keep the roads safe on St. Patrick’s Day with the DUI Wolf Pack operation.

St. Patrick’s Day can be one of the most dangerous days on the road across the county.

The sheriff’s office said the operation is part of its “commitment to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage associated with traffic crashes related to impaired driving.”

News4JAX took a ride with deputies to learn more about the operation and see what deputies look for when finding drivers under the influence.

“Our goal is to create a safer environment here in St. John’s County. We’re never going to be able to completely eliminate impaired driving because there’s more citizens than there are law enforcement officers, but if we can get the message out there — that don’t drink and drive… don’t come to St. John’s County and drink and drive —than that is our main goal,” Deputy Alex Ellis with the DUI Unit told News4JAX.

Deputies headed out on the roads around 6 p.m. and will be patrolling until the early morning when bars are closing.

Ellis said on the ride along that he was looking out for signs like drivers weaving or drifting in and out of traffic.

Ellis also pulled over a truck that appeared to be speeding. Initially, the driver showed signs of impairment like smelling like alcohol, according to Ellis. But after he passed a field sobriety test, he was good to go.

Beyond these stops, Ellis shared how his personal experiences including losing one of his comrades to a DUI crash have motivated him to continue to push for safer streets.

“My former zone partner, his name is Mike. He was actually hit and killed by a drunk driver. So, it kind of reignited that passion in me to go out and remove these impaired drivers,” he said.

Law enforcement officers urge drivers to never drink and drive, and offered ways to avoid drinking while driving such as planning a designated driver or an alternative safe way home or call a taxi or ride-sharing service.