Full Notification

On 10/19/2016 at approximately 3:05 P.M., the Simi Valley Police Traffic Bureau was conducting speed enforcement to the front of Hillside Middle School as a part of a campaign to slow drivers down and keep children safe. 1 Commander, 1 Sergeant and 2 Officers were visibly enforcing speeding violations as a team.

Officer Jessica Neumann was using laser technology to enforce speed violations when an SUV passed her in front of the school at 35 miles per hour in a 25 MPH school zone. 10 miles per hour over the speed limit is unacceptable anywhere in the city, so she stopped the vehicle just east of the school, where children were plainly visible and walking on the sidewalks adjacent to the school. The driver was also driving erratically.

Upon contacting the driver, a 47 year-old female Simi Valley resident, Officer Neumann adeptly observed the signs and symptoms of an alcohol impaired driver. To make matters worse, a 7 year-old child was seated in a car seat within the vehicle. The driver had just picked the child up at one local school (drove through a school zone) and then drove across the school zone in front of Hillside Middle School on the way home.

After an investigation, the driver was arrested for DUI, with a blood alcohol level over .08% as well as child endangerment. She was booked at Ventura County Jail. Her vehicle was also impounded.

The Simi Valley Police Department continues to urge anyone who consumes alcohol or drugs, or both (Marijuana included) NOT to drive. Please use a service such as a licensed taxi, Lyft Uber or make other arrangements. Too many people are injured and killed in DUI collisions, and Simi Valley is no exception. It is up to each of us to respect our community and each other to keep Simi Valley a safe place.