Maricopa a DUI hotspot in Arizona

“Stop getting high and driving,” said Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer during a trip to Maricopa. “Almost every fatal accident we have in this county, there is something on board.” 

Volkmer rattled off a list of substances linked to fatal collisions — alcohol, meth and weed.  

“The vast, vast, vast majority of car accidents that are fatal (here),” Volkmer said. “Substance use and abuse is involved.” 

Speeding and drug use put everyone in danger. Especially because there’s just one main road in and out of town, Volkmer said. He credited the city’s inflated number of DUIs to that fact. 

Volkmer called the 347 “the Autobahn,” quipping about Germany’s infamous sans speed limit highway. 

The number of DUI felonies is “exponentially higher” than elsewhere in Arizona, Volkmer explained. 

About 12% of all felonies lodged in Pinal County this year were DUI charges, a number that hovers around 3 percent statewide. 

Last year, the county attorney oversaw 243 felony DUI cases, roughly a 75% increase over 2021.  There have been 182 felony DUI cases so far this year. 

Felony DUI is defined in Arizona as driving intoxicated with an invalid license, previous DUI charges, kids in the car or driving the wrong way. 

An aggravated or felony DUI conviction carries 120 days in prison, according to Michael Pelton, a public information officer for the Pinal County Attorney’s Office. Pelton noted many cases result in plea agreements, meaning the 120-day sentence is not always applicable. Depending on the circumstances, penalties can vary widely. 

Related: County attorney reports significant bump in felony DUIs – InMaricopa