Busy holiday for law enforcement.

It was a busy holiday weekend for the CHP, who arrested 32 people for driving under the influence over the four-day Fourth of July enforcement period.

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“The Maximum Enforcement Period started at 6 p.m. Thursday, the third and ended at midnight on the Fourth,” said Officer John Lutz of the CHP Newhall office. “It’s hard to compare to last year, when the holiday was in the middle of a week and there were only 6 DUI arrests. Having a long weekend like this may have made a difference.”

Asked if the amount of arrests indicated an increase in the incidents of drunk driving, Lutz said “It’s certainly not going away.”

There was also one fatality reported over the weekend. Gridley resident Alvaro Rodriguez, 38, was found dead behind the wheel of a burned-out car on the Golden State Freeway just south of Smokey Bear Road. It was not determined whether alcohol was involved or if Rodriguez succumbed to injuries from an accident that preceded the fire.