No refusal weekend planned July 4

Wood County will hold its second no refusal weekend during the July Fourth holiday.

The district attorney’s office, in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies and UT Health Quitman and Christus Mother Frances Winnsboro, is sponsoring the enforcement effort July 3-5. 

No refusal weekend is a campaign where all suspected intoxicated drivers who refuse  to submit to breath testing will be subject to blood testing for alcohol and/or drugs. In Texas, upon issuance of a driver’s license, one agrees to provide a specimen of breath or blood upon request from law enforcement if suspected of intoxicated driving.

“This is the second no refusal campaign for Wood County,” said District Attorney Angela Albers. “I was pleased to organize the first no refusal weekend for our county last Labor Day. My office is proud to cooperate with local law enforcement and Wood County medical facilities to bring awareness to the widespread problem of driving while intoxicated.  My goal is to make Wood County safer by removing intoxicated drivers from our roads.”

Texas again leads the nation in the number of alcohol impaired driving fatalities with more than 1,400 people dying on Texas highways in 2018. Nationwide, one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurs every 50 minutes, and the economic cost nationwide for alcohol-impaired crashes was $44 billion.

The July 4th No Refusal Weekend is designed to address this serious problem. During this campaign, police officers will be able to contact prosecutors from the district attorney’s office to assist with search warrants for obtaining blood from suspected intoxicated drivers who refuse to submit to the taking of a breath specimen.

UT Heath Quitman and Christus Mother Frances Winnsboro will have staff available to draw blood from suspects.

“It is my hope that our cooperative effort will help ensure that Wood County citizens are able to enjoy their 4th of July holiday while being safe on the lakes and roadways,” said Albers.

Law enforcement officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Alba Police Department, Hawkins Police Department, Mineola Police Department, Quitman Police Department, Winnsboro Police Department, Wood County constables’ offices, game wardens from Texas Parks and Wildlife and Wood County deputies from the Sheriff’s Office will be out with extra patrols this July 4th weekend working to keep Wood County citizens safe on the roads and lakes.