DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — A spike in drunk driving cases in an Alabama county has led to speculation that the stresses associated with the coronavirus pandemic may be behind the increase.
Morgan County sheriff’s spokesman Mike Swafford said his department made 43 DUI arrests in the first nine months of 2019. This year the total is 66 through Sept. 30. That’s an increase of almost 54%.
Swafford says one theory is that the pandemic is a factor. But there has also been an increase in patrols under Sheriff Ron Puckett. And, another likely factor, he said, is the closure of two bridges on a U.S. highway that created a 16-mile detour.
