100+ DUI arrests made during Savannah St. Patrick’s Day celebrations

Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are known for their crowded streets, green beer and all-day parties at River and Congress streets, but for more than 100 people, the festivities ended in the back of a patrol car.

Over a 72-hour period from March 13 to 16, officers made 88 arrests for drunken driving, as well as 20 open container violations, six arrests for public drunkenness and one citation for consuming alcohol in a prohibited container, according to totals compiled from Chatham County Detention Center bookings.

• The majority of these arrests were made by the Savannah station of the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), which reported 60 drunk driving arrests and 13 open container violations during the period.

• The Savannah Police Department (SPD) also reported six arrests for drunk driving and five arrests for public intoxication.

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Other agencies reported smaller numbers of arrests during the same period.

• The Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) has made four arrests for drunk driving.

• The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office reported four arrests for drunk driving and two open container violations.

• The Garden City, Pooler and Port Wentworth police departments also made a handful of arrests for drunk driving.

​​Arrests continued through St. Patrick’s Day and in the hours that followed. During a separate 24-hour period, March 17-18, officers made 20 additional arrests for drunk driving, as well as six open container violations, four arrests for public drunkenness and one charge of public indecency.

• GSP again accounted for the majority of drunk driving arrests during this period, with 13 cases.

• SPD reported three drunk driving arrests, one open container violation, three public drunkenness arrests, one disorderly conduct charge and one public indecency charge.

• CCPD reported two arrests for drunk driving.

• Garden City police reported two arrests for drunk driving, two open container violations and one arrest for public intoxication.

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EMS Responses

Emergency responders also handled dozens of medical calls related to the celebrations, according to a news release from Chatham Emergency Services.

Chatham emergency services reported 93 patient encounters in the festival area and along the parade route from Friday afternoon through early Wednesday morning. Among them, 33 patients were transported to local hospitals.

To manage the crowds, the agency deployed five additional ambulances, five all-terrain vehicle paramedic teams and up to five EMS walking teams throughout the downtown celebration area.

Officials said the most common medical calls involved falls, unconscious patients, alcohol-related incidents and other medical emergencies, such as diabetes issues, asthma attacks and blood sugar complications.

EMS resumed normal operations throughout the county around 2 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.

Ansley Franco is a reporter for the Savannah Morning News, where she covers public safety and general assignments. You can reach her at AFranco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Green beer, blue lights: More than 100 drunk driving arrests at citywide party