A man and woman who allegedly had a drinking rendezvous at the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course netted double DUI arrests for Palo Alto police Monday evening (Jan. 31), but not before the man allegedly caused three accidents, police said.
The woman, 39-year-old Jung Sang Lee of Palo Alto, and 43-year-old Soo Ha Woo from Santa Clara, were mutual acquaintances and had been drinking at the golf course, according to police spokeswoman Officer Marianna Villaescusa.
Woo and Lee had come to the golf course in separate vehicles. At approximately 7:02 p.m., officers arrived at the golf course at 1875 Embarcadero Road on a report of a possible hit-and-run collision. Witnesses reported that the driver, a male, hit a parked vehicle and was uncooperative and possibly intoxicated.
The driver left the scene of the accident before police arrived. Witnesses noted the license plate number and described the car as a dark Toyota Camry, according to Villaescusa.
An officer spotted a white Toyota Highlander parked on top of a grassy embankment directly in front of the golf course and found a female driver, Lee. The officer immediately smelled alcohol on her breath, Villaescusa said.
Witnesses said the Highlander was not the car involved in the collision, but officers later learned that Lee had been in a verbal argument with the male driver from the hit-and-run car. Lee was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and was released to a sober acquaintance, Villaescusa said.
While officers were gathering further information, Palo Alto dispatchers received a 911 call regarding a second accident involving the same vehicle near Embarcadero Road and Cowper Street.
The caller reported that while she was driving westbound on Embarcadero, her vehicle and a second vehicle were struck by a dark Toyota Camry with a license-plate number that matched the car involved in the earlier accident.
Agent Anthony Becker spotted the Camry traveling northbound on El Camino Real at Medical Foundation Way. During a traffic stop, Becker immediately smelled alcohol coming from the male driver, Villaescusa said.
Several witnesses positively identified Woo as the driver in both accidents. His car also sustained damage consistent with the crashes, she said.
Woo was arrested for DUI and three counts of hit and run. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Neither Woo nor Lee has prior criminal histories, according to Villaescusa. No injuries were reported in any of the accidents and all vehicles sustained minor to moderate damage.
Another criminal apprehended and exposed! Thank-you Palo Alto Daily and Palo Alto Police for bringing this major criminal event to our attention. Keep up the good investigative work.
“An officer spotted a white Toyota Highlander parked on top of a grassy embankment directly in front of the golf course and found a female driver, Lee. The officer immediately smelled alcohol on her breath, Villaescusa said”
Is it illegal to be intoxicated in parked car?
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Top city attorney Donald Larkin refused, refused to release the name of the PAPD officer arrested and convicted of this DUI. But, if it was you or me (as in the case) it would have been spread all over the front pages of the Weekly, the Daily Post and the Daily News.
Sue Dremann and other weekly staff reporters continue to protect the identity of rouge police officers.
“Is it illegal to be intoxicated in parked car?”
I think it’s okay as long as you are NOT behind the wheel, and do not have an open container within reach. Any DUI lawyers out there to clarify?
To-Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood.
Excellent question:
As long as the keys are not in the vehicle.
Not a good week for the esteemed citizens of Palo Alto – 1 citizen arrested for DUI & another, now deceased, found to have an incredibly high BAC. Pathetic.
PAPD could increase city revenue by doing traffic stops near the golf course. Why do people have to speed to get to the golf course?
> “Is it illegal to be intoxicated in parked car?”
Apparently, yes. I’ve read stories of people who climb into the back seat to sleep it off, and they get arrested for DUI anyway. It didn’t make sense to me. It’s better that they sleep, and where else can they go anyway? But the courts don’t miss a chance to collect a fine.
> I’ve read stories of people who climb into the back seat to sleep it off, and they get arrested for DUI anyway.
That hardly seems right, unless there is some reason or evidence to the fact that they must have been driving drunk to get where they were to pull over.
if you’re the only person in the car, there’s a rebuttable presumption that you must have been driving drunk to get to where you pulled over.In other words you are presumed to have been drunk behind the wheel unless you can prove otherwise.
Seriously?? You people are defending these drunk people? How else do you suppose a drunk person in their car, with their keys gets to where they are? What, do they actually have to kill someone before getting arrested? A cop walks up to a car, for whatever reason, finds the person behind the wheel smelling like alcohol, yes they should be arrested. Absolutely.
I’m all for rights and freedoms and such – but my kids are on the road out there. Odd are you have loved ones out there as well. When it comes to drunk driving, it should be one and done. There is no viable excuse for such behavior.
Jeez. Coming down on cops for arresting drunk drivers – who ever heard of such a thing.
Way to completely disregard the most basic presumption — that of innocence.
Can you imagine who these guys woke up this morning, in a sleep slumber just before they were completely awake: “Ahh, what the.. God my head hurts, why am I thirsty..Oh F@@#$$$!!! I need more sleep, on no wait.. is this a dream… oh no!
I do not think it is uncommon for people to drink and then get in their previously parked car and go to sleep. Remember the woman a few months back who apparently did so on El Camino in PA and was assualted by a man who broke her car window?
Better someone who has too much to drink sleep it off in their parked car than get out on the road to get home. And I don’t think many are going to call a cab at that point in the evening-too lte for lucid thinking.
THANK YOU PALO ALTO POLICE for keeping us safe again, another job well done! I’m very thankful for such a great police force. 🙂
Basically, if you get a d.u.i for being drunk in your car and your car keys aren’t in the ignition, you need appeal the charge… What if the person stopped pulled over, and then drank some alcohol? They need to be able to prove it. Sounds like some BS to me, they can’t just arrest that person for sitting in their car drunk. Palo Alto PD… Enough said.
The car WAS up on an embankment. You don’t think she was driving?
allright all you amatuer crimefighters and haters. If the car left the roadway and was up an embankment then that is classified as an accident and the person who is suspected to be the driver can be arrested.
Obviously not a great spot to pitch some woo…..
It is time to put a stop to all the criminal behavior associated with golf. Shut the course down!
If you are intoxicated, in the drivers seat, and the keys are in the vehicle, you can be charged with operating under the influence, or attempting to operate under the influence.
Should clarify that the keys must be in the ignition, not just in the vehicle. Point is, if you are planning on sleeping one off, do not sit behind the wheel. If you are in the passenger side of the vehicle, you have a stronger case that you were not attempting to operate. Either way, lock your doors and remove the keys form the ignition.