Five bicycle riders were arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of riding under the influence in South Los Angeles after officers gave sobriety tests to a pack of pre-dawn bikers.
Officers were called to the Baldwin Hills area at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday after a bicycle lost control and crashed to the pavement, said California Highway Patrol Officer Travis Ruiz.
While officers were there, 15 bicyclists came up to check on their friend. They were riding on both sides of the street without helmets and were barely visible to motorists, Ruiz said.
He said officers smelled alcohol and conducted field sobriety tests on the bikers. Five men, ages 18 to 22, were arrested, cited for bicycle DUI and released. He said one arrestee was the accident victim, who wasn't seriously injured.
California law states that riding a bicyle on a highway while under the influence is punishable by a fine of up to $250.
