VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's a preventable crime and Virginia Beach has the highest DUI conviction rate in the state.
The News 3 Investigative Team obtained the latest data from the DMV which ranks cities across the state of Virginia.
A Virginia Beach man is now in jail, serving an 11-year sentence after he drove his car into a bookstore in December 2022, injuring two customers.
The crash happened around 7:30 pm. on Dec. 30 at Smith Discount Books in the Providence Square Shopping Center in Virginia Beach.
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Two women were injured during the incident, one was pregnant. Attorneys say she did eventually deliver a healthy baby. The other young woman broke her leg.
Colin Stolle is the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney. He said, “A vehicle is a weapon and in the wrong hands, it’s going to hurt people in our community.”
In December, News 3 issued a warning about an increase in DUIs during holidays.
The News 3 Investigative Team spoke to Michael Goodove, who lost his brother to a drunk driver in 1990. He is also the President of the Southside Chapter of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
Goodove reflected on the loss of his brother and the continuation of the problem of people getting arrested for drinking and driving.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it. It really breaks my heart and it breaks my heart to see other victims added for something that’s so completely preventable,” said Goodove.
News 3 is taking a deep dive into the number of convictions from 2022 with information we obtained from the DMV.
Virginia Beach has by far the highest number of convictions in the region with 1,185, followed by Chesapeake with 583 and Newport News with 468.
Virginia Beach also tops the list for the number of convictions across the state, followed by Chesterfield County, then Fairfax County.
Stolle said there are a number of reasons why his city has the most convictions.
“We have a lot of DUI offenses in Virginia Beach because it is a tourist town. People come to Virginia Beach and they’re here to enjoy themselves and have a good time," he said.
He said, unfortunately, sometimes they get in the car and drive after having too many drinks while on vacation.
He also believes the police department also plays a big role in the high number of convictions.
“The Virginia Beach Police Department has a unit that is so well-trained. They’re experts in their field. They actually go around training other law-enforcement agencies on how to identify and make arrests on DUI cases,” said Stolle.
He said many arrests in Virginia Beach happen at the Oceanfront, Town Center and along Shore Drive.
“Anytime that you’ve been drinking and you get behind the wheel of the car, you’re not only putting yourself in danger, you’re putting the community as a whole in danger, and there’s no reason to be driving when you’re drinking in today’s day and age,” said Stolle.
He recommends calling an Uber, a Lyft, or a taxi.
Different experts give different opinions, but they say a DUI can cost you anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000, so you definitely want to plan ahead if you go out drinking.
Brianna Lanham contributed to this story.
