Nevada law enforcement wrapped up a major effort over Thanksgiving weekend to stop drunk driving before it claimed more lives.
The second annual Sergeant Abbate and Trooper Felix DUI Blitz brought together agencies from several states, all working to keep the roads safer during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The blitz was created to honor two Nevada State Police troopers, Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix, who were hit and killed by an impaired driver in Las Vegas on November 30, 2023.
The troopers had stopped to help a driver who may have been asleep at the wheel. While they stood outside their cars, police say a repeat DUI offender, Jemarcus Williams, crashed into them.
Williams was later sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison and will be eligible for parole after 16 years.
Major Kevin Honea with the Nevada Highway Patrol said the anniversary made this year’s blitz especially meaningful.
Before the weekend began, he reminded Nevadans that “not a day goes by where we don’t think of them and their family.”
For troopers, the mission was personal. They wanted to honor their fallen coworkers and stop another tragedy from happening to someone else.
Last year’s inaugural blitz made a clear impact.
NHP conducted more than 500 traffic stops statewide and made 32 DUI arrests.
Each arrest, Honea said, represented a possible life saved.
Preventing a single impaired driver from getting back on the road might mean one more seat filled at a family’s Christmas dinner instead of an empty chair.
This year’s effort followed the same goal. Troopers increased patrols along major corridors like I-15, I-11, and busy surface streets in Las Vegas and Reno.
These routes see some of the highest impaired driving numbers of the entire year. State Police say Thanksgiving weekend has long been one of Nevada’s deadliest periods for DUI crashes.
During the blitz, agencies “pulled the rope at the same end,” as Honea put it, coordinating across state lines to cover more ground.
More patrol cars on the road meant more eyes watching for erratic driving, speeding, or stopped cars in places they shouldn’t be.
The issue hits close to home for many Nevadans because repeat DUI offenders continue to show up in deadly cases.
The driver who killed Sergeant Abbate and Trooper Felix had prior DUI problems, and critics say the system still lets too many risky drivers back behind the wheel.
Some argue Nevada needs stronger penalties for repeat offenders. Others say officials should put more resources into treatment and intervention.
No matter which side of the debate you’re on, most people agree can agree the status quo isn’t working well enough.
Over the holiday weekend, State Police urged everyone to plan ahead.
Many Nevadans took that advice by using rideshare services, naming a designated driver, or simply staying put after family gatherings.
Maybe a small inconvenience to some, but the kind that can prevent the worst day of someone’s life.
As the Thanksgiving weekend came to a close, troopers said the blitz succeeded in honoring Sergeant Abbate and Trooper Felix while reminding drivers across the state that impaired driving is still one of Nevada’s biggest dangers.
If you drink, don’t drive. Someone’s life depends on it.
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