A Louisiana state legislator is considering filing a bill that would increase the penalties for drunk driving during a hurricane evacuation. Representative John Edwards has requested statistics from the state police to see if alcohol related accidents and DWI arrests hindered the evacuation of 1.9 million people before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav.
Edwards said he had heard of five arrests on Interstate 55 for driving while intoxicated in Louisiana in the first hours after evacuations were ordered. While that figure has not been confirmed by state police, Edwards used at meeting of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security to raise the issue of DWI penalties in order to improve the state
May 26, 2012
