Irvine police officers stopped a car traveling the wrong direction near Von Karman Avenue and Michelson Drive, arresting a 31-year-old Irvine woman on suspicion of DUI. The intersection sits in the heart of a dense commercial corridor near John Wayne Airport, where multi-lane divided roadways, office towers, and hotels make wrong-way driving especially dangerous during evening hours.
According to the Irvine Police Department, officers responded after spotting the vehicle heading into oncoming traffic and took the driver into custody. The department used the arrest to renew its call for community members to report suspected drunk drivers by calling 911, saying such reports help keep the community safe.
Why Driving the Wrong Way on a Divided Road Carries Extra Weight
Streets like Von Karman Avenue feature raised physical medians that legally classify them as divided highways under state law. Driving the wrong way on such a road is a misdemeanor under California Vehicle Code Section 21651(b), but the charge escalates to a felony punishable by prison time if the violation causes bodily injury or death, according to FindLaw.
A DUI charge itself carries its own set of penalties. California Vehicle Code Section 23152 makes it illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs under subdivision (a), and separately sets a per se limit of 0.08% blood alcohol concentration under subdivision (b). As Eisner Gorin LLP explains, a first-offense misdemeanor DUI can bring up to six months in county jail, fines as high as $2,000, and a six-month license suspension, with prosecutors typically filing charges under both subdivisions for a single incident.
DUI Checkpoints and Patrols
The department has said checkpoint locations are chosen using historical DUI arrest and collision data.
Citizen Calls and New Technology Are Catching Impaired Drivers
Community tips have played a direct role in recent arrests. In August, a citizen 911 call enabled the department's Drone as First Responder program to track an erratic vehicle and guide ground officers to arrest a 62-year-old Santa Ana man for DUI, the department said on Facebook.
Local crash data highlight the stakes behind these enforcement pushes. Irvine saw 570 traffic fatalities or injuries in 2023, including 55 victims involved in alcohol-related crashes, according to Fielding Law APC.
State Lawmakers Push for Tougher DUI Penalties
The local arrest arrives amid a broader legislative push at the state level. In February, California lawmakers including Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, who represents Irvine, introduced an anti-drunk driving legislative package aimed at toughening penalties and closing loopholes that let repeat offenders keep their driving privileges, as reported by CalMatters.
Irvine police urged community members to call 911 if they see a driver who appears impaired.
