California man says 'I'm the DUI' during drunk driving arrest in Murrieta

In California, a man was arrested shortly after midnight on January 1 for driving while intoxicated after allegedly pretending to be “the DUI” during a traffic stop.

The Murrieta Police Department in Southern California shared body camera video of the encounter on its Instagram page Thursday.

The driver was arrested for possible investigation into drunk driving after a Murrieta, Bridgewaters officer noticed him crossing the roadway at 12:40 a.m. on January 1.

During the stop, the officer asked the driver where he was from, to which he responded in part: “I was just dropping my friend off because I'm the DUI tonight.”

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A California man was arrested early New Year's morning after telling police he was “the DUI” during a traffic stop for possible drunken driving, Murrieta police said. (Murrieta Police Department)

The officer can be heard on the video asking the driver if he is the “DUI,” then correcting him by saying he probably meant he is the “DD,” which stands for designated driver.

The driver, left speechless after the correction, eventually admitted to drinking champagne and beer before agreeing to take field sobriety tests.

He nearly fell several times during sobriety tests and was jailed for driving under the influence.

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The driver reportedly failed several field sobriety tests before being arrested. (Murrieta Police Department)

The police department said it employs two officers “who specialize in drunk driving investigations” and have additional training to detect and investigate impaired drivers.

The MPD Traffic Bureau also conducts regular checkpoints to “further deter drunk driving,” according to the department.

Murrieta Police said its traffic bureau conducts regular sobriety checkpoints to emphasize the importance of not driving under the influence. (istock)

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The department reminded drivers to celebrate responsibly after announcing that 37 people die every day in America in crashes related to driving under the influence.

In 2022, 13,524 people were killed due to drunk driving, the MPD said in its article.