DUI cases highlight need for better coping mechanisms

Erin Brockovich, made famous in a movie by the same name, has apologized for drunken boating.

The environmental activist was arrested after a game warden noticed she was having trouble docking her boat at Lake Mead near Las Vegas, and she was found to have a blood alcohol level just over twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

While claiming she didn't endanger anyone, she said she takes drunk driving very serious and admitted she made a "big mistake.

"After a day in the sun and with nothing to eat it appears that a couple of drinks had a greater impact than I had realized," she said.

A Grand Island, Nebraska, official hasn't had anything to say after she was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of driving under the influence after a hit-and-run crash.

A vehicle driven by city finance director Jaye Monter, 51, of Cairo, Nebraska, reportedly rear-ended another vehicle just inside the Grand Island city limits Friday night, but failed to stop when a deputy turned on his flashing lights and gave up the pursuit.

He radioed ahead, however, and she was arrested in Cairo later that night.

Driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident is nothing to be excused, but Monter is receiving some sympathy because her husband, Gary, 53, died unexpectedly May 19. He had been superintendent of Palmer Public Schools since 2007.

It also doesn't help that she works in an office that has been in tumult because of controversy surrounding Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek, who received a light sentence following his own DUI arrest earlier this year, pleaded down to reckless driving.

Vavricek created an uproar after he first fired a city administrator and then hired her back, which touched off a recall effort, which he survived.

In light of Vavricek's plea bargain, we can be sure Monter's case will be watched closely.

Driving while intoxicated is serious problem which is receiving the attention it deserves, including a new effort to reduce the blood alcohol level at which a driver is legally drunk to .05.

Cases like those cited above should serve as a cautionary tale for those who might be tempted to use alcohol as a crutch to deal with personal problems, and those who can see their friends doing the same.