On February 24, 2018 at about 11:37PM, UCPD officers were dispatched to the area of Alvarado-Niles Rd and Decoto Rd. for a report of an injury accident involving two motorcycles. Officers found two motorcyclist on the street, unconscious and significantly injured. Both motorcyclists were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The investigation determined that a vehicle had turned in front of the riders causing the collision. The vehicle’s driver, identified as, Ruben Martin a 56 year old from Hayward, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Martin was booked in at Santa Rita Jail later that evening. This is an on-going case which is being investigated by the Union City Police Traffic unit.
As the investigation progressed, a third motorcyclist was driving through the area, unrelated to the collision. He was contacted by a patrol officer after showing symptoms of intoxication. The third motorcyclist, Gilberto Negrete 40 year old from Hayward, was also placed under arrest for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Negrete was also transported and booked at Santa Rita Jail.
In the early morning hours of February 26, 2018, officers on routine patrol made two additional D.U.I. arrests. Both arrests, during separate incidents, were made in the area of Jean Dr. and Ruth Way. Amanda Lopez a 30 year old from Union City and Tristan Reyes a 21 year old from Union City were both arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Lopez was taken to Santa Rita Jail and Reyes was transported to Fremont Jail.
Incidents like these could have been avoided by simply planning ahead. The Office of Traffic Safety’s Designated Driver VIP program, lets users see which nearby bars are choosing to reward designated drivers with discounts and free non-alcoholic beverages. Essentially, it gives designated sober drivers the VIP treatment they deserve. DDVIP information can be located at
https://ots.ca.gov/pdf/DDVIP-App.pdf and the app is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Additionally, DDVIP app users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb.
We are excited to partner with the California Office of Traffic Safety to provide intervention and enforcement in an effort keep our community safe. Our goal for these interventions is both a short and long term reduction in fatal, serious, and overall number of collisions in Union City.
