WEST JORDAN, Utah — Utah State Highway Patrol and West Jordan Police teamed up on New Year’s Eve for a joint DUI Enforcement Blitz in memory of Eli Mitchell.
The 13-year-old was riding his bike home from the grocery store in April of 2022 when he was struck and killed by an impaired driver.
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“Eli was a man of peace,” said his grandfather Glendon Mitchell, “We hope our messaging as a family would be to bring the community together to stop drinking and driving.”
Eli’s family and friends hope his memory lives on and people think of him as they hit the roads.
“A campaign slogan for people to stop drunk driving is ‘Live Like Eli,’” said friend Cooper Rogerson. “Just trying to be more like him. He didn’t care what anybody else thought of him. Whether he was cool or whether he wasn’t. He just, he was himself.”
Sergeant Cope says Eli Mitchell was one of at least 43 alcohol-related fatalities this year.
He says law enforcement is out in full force to prevent deaths this year, with 27 agencies working and more than 240 overtime shifts to deter, detect and remove drunk drivers from the roads.
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“Please find a safe ride home, whether that is a sober friend, a family member or a share ride, we want every driver to get home safe and every DUI arrest that we take care of is a life saved on Utah roads,” he said. “We understand alcohol is a part of your festivities but the loss of a 13-year-old and not just for Eli but for every child around the state is absolutely avoidable.”
He said if you see a friend who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely.
If you see a drunk driver, make sure to call 911.
