Long Beach Police Department DUI Checkpoint Finds No Drunk Drivers One Day Prior Fatal DUI Incident

The Long Beach Police Department Traffic Section conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, September 3, 2021, at Lakewood Boulevard and Wardlow Street, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – call 9-1-1.’

Last week’s Labor Day weekend operation concluded without a single drunk driver being detected.

• 503 Vehicles through checkpoint   
• 73 Drivers screened 
• 1 Drivers cited for operating a vehicle with a suspended/revoked license 
• 7 Drivers cited for being unlicensed 

Though these results may seem like a successful outcome, the death of a 16-year-old local at the hand of a drunk driver the very next day poses some questions and says otherwise.

The driver of a 2001 Chevrolet Tracker was traveling southbound on Los Coyotes Diagonal when he struck a 16-year-old pedestrian who was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk.

On Saturday at 9:07 p.m., LBPD officers were dispatched to the intersection of Los Coyotes Diagonal and Deborah Street regarding an injury traffic collision, which resulted in the death of a male juvenile. 

Upon arrival, officers discovered an injured pedestrian in the roadway. Good Samaritans and officers performed life-saving measures until the Long Beach Fire Department arrived. Despite their efforts, the pedestrian succumbed to his injuries and was determined deceased at the scene by Fire Department personnel. 

Through their preliminary investigation, detectives learned that the driver of a 2001 Chevrolet Tracker was traveling southbound on Los Coyotes Diagonal when he struck a 16-year-old pedestrian who was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk.

The 16-year-old was a resident of Long Beach, and his identity is being withheld due to his age. The next of kin has been notified by the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office.

The driver of the Chevrolet Tracker was identified as Kevin Chris Dahl, a 33-year-old resident of the City of Lakewood. He was arrested and booked for one count of gross vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence. Bail was set at $100,000.

With the recent controversial increase in political and financial support of the LBPD by the City’s current administration, the effectiveness of improving public safety is at question by many.