Murrieta Driver Accidentally Tells Cop 'I'm The DUI Tonight'

MURRIETA, CA — Shortly after ringing in the New Year, a swerving driver was pulled over by Murrieta police and accidentally admitted to driving under the influence.

A video posted to Instagram on Thursday by Murrieta police showed the interaction between Officer Bridgewater and the unidentified driver. At around 12:40 a.m. on Jan. 1, Bridgewaters reportedly noticed a vehicle swerving across the roadway and decided to pull the driver over.

When Bridgewaters asked where the man was coming from, he said he dropped his friend off since he was "the DUI tonight."

"You're the DUI tonight?" Bridgewaters tried to clarify.

"Yes sir," the man replied.

"Do you mean to say the DD?" Bridgewaters asked.

"A designated driver is someone who abstains from drinking alcohol to safely transport others," the department wrote in its post.

After admitting to officers he had some beer and champaign hours earlier, the driver was asked to undergo several field sobriety tests. In the video, the man can be seen struggling to maintain balance.

"So, I gotta place you under arrest," the officer said.

"Even though I'm like two minutes away?" the man replied.

The man was eventually arrested and taken to jail, the department said.

The department employs two officers who specialize in DUI investigations and get additional training in the detection and investigation of impaired drivers.

About 37 people die in drunk-driving crashes every day in the U.S., the department said. That's one death every 39 minutes. In 2022, drunk driving killed 13,524 people.

"Those fatalities were preventable. If you plan to celebrate, please do so responsibly!" the department said.