We have all read or heard about the horrific car crashes that involve the careless actions of a drunk driver, but have you ever heard of someone charged with 8 DUI offenses?
On January 29, 2017, Derek Stacy Haskayne, 52, crashed into and landed on top of a Southern California Edison electrical box igniting live wires. Placentia police department in Orange County, California responded to the call at the 100 block of South Lakeview Avenue. When police arrived, they found Haskayne attempting to flee from the scene and police quickly discovered that he was not only under the influence of alcohol, but had been arrested for the same offense a disturbing 8 times before.
How does this happen? A first-time DUI offense in Orange County carries a penalty of 4 days to 6 months in the county jail. For most this is a strong deterrent to drink and drive again, but evidently, Haskayne didn’t get the message.
Due to Haskayne’s prior DUI arrests, he was placed on post-release community supervision, a failed endeavor to monitor his multiple DUI offenses while in the community. Court ordered to obtain an ignition interlock device, Haskayne still found ways to drive amongst law abiding citizens and place our community at risk.
The community of Placentia deserved to know that an 8-time DUI offender was driving along side of them unmonitored.
SCRAM of California
manages alcohol programs to address this very issue for courts and agencies in Orange County. The SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring bracelet combines 24/7 transdermal alcohol testing with optional house arrest monitoring in one device. Designed for high-risk, repeat DUI, drunk driving, and other alcohol offenders, the SCRAM system and program is the world’s most widely used and trusted 24/7 transdermal alcohol testing system on the market today.
Our SCRAM monitoring program:
- Enforces public safety
- Provides continuous supervision of DUI offenders
- Reduces recidivism by 45% in hardcore DUI offenders compared to non-wearers (National Center for State Courts, 2009)
- Is alcohol specific and non-invasive
With this program readily available in Orange County, why was Derek Stacy Haskayne not court ordered to participate in the SCRAM of California program where he would have been monitored and held accountable for his actions?
As a community, these are the questions we need to be asking.
