For many, the holiday season means drinks with friends. For the California Highway Patrol, it's no holiday.
It's a maximum enforcement period.
That means more CHP officers are on the road, looking for people who are driving under the influence.
"It's really just our way of being out there, being more visible, slowing people down and hopefully removing impaired drivers before they hurt anyone," Officer Andrew Barclay said.
Officer Andrew Camilleri was part of those stepped up patrols when he was hit and killed late Sunday night. The CHP said the 22-year-old driver of a Cadillac that hit him was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol.
In the first 30 hours of the agency's holiday maximum enforcement period, which started Friday night, officers arrested more than 600 impaired drivers.
"That's 600 drivers where it could have ended much worse for them," Barclay said.
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Young people celebrating the season say people need to make a plan before they party.
"Call Uber, get home safe, plan ahead before taking substances," said Danny Geitheim of Tiburon.
Tommy King of San Anselmo added: "It's one of those things, once you do it, you have the biggest regret. It's so easy not to do it."
With Christmas over and New Year celebrations coming up, CHP officers will continue looking for impaired drivers as they mourn the loss of one of their own.
