Major Les Witkowski said the 14-year-old girl was driving eastbound in the 5300 block of Highway 10 when she drove into the westbound lane. A vehicle traveling west saw the girl’s vehicle and stopped, and the girl ran head-on into the other vehicle, Witkowski said. No one was injured, but the crash did approximately $5,000 damage to each vehicle.
Witkowski said the 14-year-old girl was cited with driving under the influence and minor in possession. A 12-year-old girl who was a passenger in her car had to be taken to the hospital due to her intoxication level and also was cited with minor in possession. Both girls were released to parents, Witkowski said.
He said he can’t remember a 14-year-old licensed driver getting a DUI in his 30 years of law enforcement, though he noted that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. However, he said it is rare for someone that young to be caught driving drunk.
Bismarck Police Sgt. Mark Buschena said he can’t say his department has never arrested someone that young for DUI but said it is "way outside the norm." According to department statistics, Bismarck police arrested eight juveniles for DUI in all of 2010.
The department’s overall DUI arrests were low through New Year’s Eve festivities. Bismarck police made four DUI arrests from noon on Dec. 31 to noon on Jan. 1, Buschena said.
Read more: http://bismarcktribune.com/