Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

As part of the Eureka Police Department’s (EPD) ongoing Sober Streets Eureka campaign, officers continue to focus on impaired driving enforcement and roadway safety throughout the holiday season. During the evening hours of November 11 and early morning hours of November 12, 2026, EPD officers encountered five separate incidents involving suspected or confirmed impaired drivers.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on November 11th, officers responded to a reported non-injury collision involving two vehicles near 14th and I Streets. One of the drivers, identified as Isaiah Martinez, 21, of Ferndale, exhibited signs and symptoms of impairment. Following an investigation, Martinez was taken into custody for driving under the influence.

Just before midnight on November 11th, officers responded to a collision in the 1000 block of Broadway involving a vehicle that had struck a building and multiple signs. The driver left the scene. EPD subsequently received an additional report of a vehicle colliding with a telephone pole near the intersection of 7th and J Streets. Officers located the driver inside the vehicle at the 7th and J Streets collision scene. During the investigation, officers determined the two collisions were related. The driver was identified as Michael Rodriguez, 44, of Eureka. Rodriguez was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation and, after being medically cleared, was taken into custody for hit-and-run and driving under the influence.

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on November 12th, an off-duty EPD officer was traveling near Miller Road and Parton Street in Arcata in his department-issued take-home patrol vehicle while returning home following his shift. EPD officers are authorized to operate their assigned take-home vehicles while off duty and may respond to emergencies when necessary. The officer observed a vehicle failing to maintain its lane and nearly leaving the roadway. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the driver failed to yield, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. The vehicle eventually stopped in a driveway in the 1100 block of Miller Road. The driver was identified as Hector Sanchez-Lopez, 34, of Eureka, and was taken into custody without further incident. Sanchez-Lopez was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for driving under the influence and evading a peace officer.

In addition to these incidents, EPD officers assigned to a DUI enforcement operation funded through the California Highway Patrol’s Cannabis Grant responded to an injury collision at approximately 6:25 p.m. on November 11th. The collision involved a bicyclist who had driven off a curb. The bicyclist, identified as Stuart McQueen, 65, of Eureka, exhibited signs of impairment. McQueen was cited for driving under the influence and released to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the collision.

Later that evening, at approximately 8:20 p.m., the same officers conducted a traffic stop in the 2200 block of Broadway. The driver, identified as Madison Voigt, 26, of Eureka, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and possession of a controlled substance. A records check confirmed Voigt was on probation for a prior DUI offense, and she was additionally charged with a probation violation.

These incidents reinforce why impaired driving enforcement remains an important priority for EPD. Driving under the influence is preventable, yet it continues to put drivers, passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and our entire community at risk.

EPD encourages everyone to plan ahead, designate a sober driver, arrange alternative transportation, or stay home. If you are impaired, do not get behind the wheel.

Personal responsibility matters. One decision can have lifelong consequences. Please do not become another statistic on our roadways.