Washakie County Law Enforcement teaming up for DWUI patrols

WORLAND — Washakie County Law Enforcement will be out in force during the Washakie County Fair and Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Also, as part of a statewide DWUI enforcement campaign, the Worland Police Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol and Washakie County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up enforcement Aug. 17 to Sept. 6.

“The rally and fair are two of the busiest times in our county, with increased traffic and potential for impaired driving,” said Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness.

“We will be using all our available patrol units to crackdown on impaired driving,” said Lt. Karl Germain of the Wyoming Highway Patrol in Worland.

Historically, Washakie County has the lowest crash fatalities in Wyoming and had only four alcohol involved crashes in 2015. “We pride ourselves on having a safe county and it requires people making good choices when driving and a constant patrols on our part,” said Chief Gabe Elliott of the Worland Police Department.

Washakie County Law Enforcement recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving.

•Plan a safe way home before the fun begins.

•Designate a sober driver.

•Download Drive Sober Wyoming app at http://www.wygcid.org/Smart_Phone_App.html

•If you see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to report it to 347-2242 or 347-4253.

•If you know someone is about to drive or ride after drinking, take the keys and help him/her make other arrangements to be safe.

Along with this enhanced enforcement effort, the Wyoming Highway Patrol is urging drivers to help keep Wyoming’s roadways safe by calling the Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately (REDDI) hotline number at 1-800-442-9090 to report suspected drunk drivers. Callers should be prepared to provide the dispatcher with a description of the vehicle, its location, and direction of travel.

To date, there have been 53 traffic deaths in Wyoming in 2016, compared to nearly 80 at this time in 2015.