Charleston wants to take action against drunk driving after a fatal accident

TOMORROW NEWSBREAK | In response to the April 28 traffic deaths of two 20-year-old women on Morrison Drive, Charleston will add more checkpoints for impaired drivers.

In announcing the immediate increased enforcement initiative, Charleston Mayor William Cogswell referenced the accident in which Lizzy Zito and Arianna Gander, both of Simpsonville, died after they were apparently struck by two different cars in the early morning hours. Police have arrested two men in the accident, which officials said could have been avoided.

“Our hearts hurt over the loss of Lizzy and Arianna, two vibrant young women taken from us too soon due to a preventable tragedy,” Cogswell said in a news release. “Her untimely death is a stark reminder of the importance of protecting our community from impaired driving.

“Charleston has zero tolerance for drunk driving. We owe it to our community and Lizzy and Arianna’s families to ensure that tragedies like this never happen again.”

In previous reports, police did not mention drunk driving as a cause of the accident. Neither man is charged with driving while impaired.

“We are taking very decisive action, moving forward and setting up checkpoints on major highways and throughout the city to screen for drunk driving,” Cogswell said in the release. “I find it inexcusable that people get behind the wheel after drinking too much. And once again, this tragedy could have been prevented.”

Police will set up DUI checkpoints on major roads throughout Charleston to identify impaired drivers, the mayor said. Checkpoint locations will be announced later this week and begin this weekend.

There have been 92 drunk driving arrests in the past two months, a slight increase over the number of arrests during the same period last year.

More news today:

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A Charleston-based organization is helping residents find affordable housing. Charleston-based organization CoLife does what it can to connect young professionals with housing resources.

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