18 alcohol violations at Dunes over Labor Day weekend

18 alcohol violations at Dunes over Labor Day weekend

MOSES LAKE – Grant County Sheriff’s Off Road Vehicle deputies were busy at the Moses Lake Sand Dunes over the four day Labor Day weekend.

Among other things, deputies handed out citations for 18 alcohol violations. The dunes is an alcohol-free zone.

?About 1,500 ORV riders, boat passengers, beach users, and spectators were counted as day users at the park over the weekend, Sheriff Tom Jones noted. Around 2,200 people camped over the weekend. ?

Jones said ORV deputies responded and/or self-generated 11 calls for service varying from alcohol offenses, property offenses, trespassing, and collisions. They logged 88 education/enforcement hours. ?

There were four reported minor injury collisions, Jones said. The most severe injury was an open fracture to the leg. Other recorded injuries included a fractured collarbone. Some victims refused treatment, Jones said. ?

The most significant incident was the report of a sinkhole at the first spillway, causing Sand Dunes Road SE at the west end to be closed. There were no injuries or property loss. ??

ORV deputies gave numerous verbal warnings and issued a total of 41 infractions or criminal citations: ?

18 – Possession of alcohol (alcohol is prohibited in the Moses Lake dunes). ?

4 – Operating without a helmet.?

1 – Driving while license suspended in the third degree. ?

1 – Driving under the influence. ?

1 – Excessive vehicle speed. ?

1 – No motor vehicle insurance. ?

1 – Expired tabs. ?

3 – No boater education card.

3 – Excessive vessel speed (no wake zone violation). ?

1 – Operating an ORV on a public roadway. ?

1 – Negligent driving in the second degree. ?

1 – Fireworks use violation. ?

3 – Minor in possession/minor in consumption of alcohol. ?

1 – Navigation light required on a boat. ?

1 – Carrying a passenger outside vehicle. ??“The Off Road Vehicle deputies did an outstanding job of keeping people safe Labor Day weekend,” Jones said. “We had less reported injuries and zero fatalities in our ORV areas.”