South San Francisco, CA August 3, 2016 Submitted by SSFPD 
On 08-03-16 at 7:14 AM, South San Francisco Police officers were dispatched to King Drive at Newman Drive on a report that a citizen found a vehicle stopped halfway on a sidewalk with the driver passed out behind the wheel. Police officers and paramedics responded to the scene and located William Arnold Aguero in the driver’s seat. Aguero was still passed out, with the engine running and the car was in gear. Aguero was initially unresponsive to officers and paramedics. After several minutes Aguero woke up officers were able to remove him from the car. Aguero was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage to the point that he was unable to walk unassisted. Witnesses stated Aguero almost hit a pedestrian when he drove up onto the sidewalk. The unknown pedestrian has not been located and the police would like to locate and interview them.
Aguero was transported by paramedics to a local hospital for examination. Aguero was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and for driving with a suspended license (which was suspended for a previous DUI conviction). Aguero was later medically cleared from the hospital and booked into San Mateo County jail. Aguero has several prior DUI convictions and he is on the Police Department’s “DUI Hot List” as a repeat DUI offender with a suspended license. Aguero’s vehicle was towed, impounded for 30 days, and is potentially subject to permanent forfeiture.
The South San Francisco Police Department proactively works with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Traffic Safety on the DUI Hot List program. This is a program that identifies repeat DUI offenders who have suspended drivers licenses. All offenders on the list are provided a notice about their convictions, told about the Hot List program, and are warned not to drive. The South San Francisco Police Department regularly disseminates a list along with photographs of known DUI Hot List offenders to all traffic and patrol officers. Throughout the year, specially-trained officers also conduct undercover surveillance operations on Hot List offenders and watch their homes or workplace. Offenders caught driving are subject to immediate arrest for driving on a suspended license and are subject to additional DMV sanctions and criminal charges.
Studies and research conducted by the DMV shows a staggering 75% of drivers who are convicted of DUI continue to drive despite having their drivers licenses suspended or revoked. Repeat DUI offenders in California are involved in 24% of fatal DUI crashes and 63% of injury DUI crashes. These statistics show why programs like the DUI Hot List are important in our efforts to reduce these numbers.
Funding for surveillance operations is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Anyone who know who the pedestrian was that was walking on the sidewalk is encouraged to call the Police Department at 650-877-8900 and ask for Officer Nuti in regards to case #16-4520.