Young drivers involved in more fatal crashes in San Diego County – NBC 7 San Diego

More than half of all drivers charged in impaired-driving homicides in San Diego County this year were between the ages of 18 and 26, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

The figures represent a year-on-year increase in the number of homicides by young drivers, according to prosecutors, who said 25 people had died in 20 separate crashes involving DNS this year.

The DA’s office released the statistics along with an $899,425 grant the office received this week from the California Office of Highway Safety to support emergency prosecutions and public education efforts about the risks of impaired driving.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement: “Every year we have an unacceptable number of fatal SNS. As the holiday season approaches, people need to make responsible choices, use ride-sharing services and prevent their friends and family from getting behind the wheel if they’re impaired.”

Also announced Thursday was a $600,000 grant to the county Medical Examiner’s Department that will go toward purchasing new toxicology equipment and funding training for toxicologists. According to the county, the new equipment will be used to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs in motor vehicle fatalities.

Also announced earlier this week was a $642,600 grant to the county’s probation department to support a probation supervision program for “high-risk individuals” with misdemeanor criminal records.