Austin police busy with DWIs over holiday weekend

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - From a deadly crash to an officer getting injured, Austin police had several cases of suspected DWIs this past Labor Day weekend.

“This was definitely a busy one especially with fatalities. Right now we are ahead of the year where we would be as far as fatalities,” said Detective Michael Jennings with the DWI Unit.

In one case a motorcyclist was killed when he was hit by an alleged drunk driver who was driving the wrong way on Metric Boulevard. In another case over the weekend, an Austin police officer is recovering after he was hit by an alleged drunk driver.

“That person's been charged with intoxication assault on that case,” said Jennings.

According to Jennings a total of 57 people were arrested during their No Refusal initiative spanning throughout the holiday weekend.

“We definitely see more than we would like to see when it comes to intoxication and driving," Jennings said. "There unfortunately are trends up and down, but we don't see it disappearing on us anytime soon."

One of the trends Jennings says they are seeing in these cases is more than just alcohol is involved.

“We have a lot of drug driving," Jennings said. "A lot of people on medications, a lot of people don't realize that if you are prescribed a medication and it causing your body to be changed or altered and you become intoxicated through that medication you can be arrested for DWI.".

Jennings said another trend they are seeing is fewer people refusing to give blood or breath samples.