CHRISTMAS PARTY SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT

YIELDS TWO IMPAIRED DRIVERS    

CHESAPEAKE BEACH ---   The men and women of the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sobriety checkpoint on Friday evening on eastbound MD Rt. 260, Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, MD.  The sobriety checkpoint lasted 2 hours and 6 minutes.  During the checkpoint a total of 600 motorists were contacted as they entered the sobriety checkpoint.  Of these, four (4) motorists were directed to the roadside for further testing and one (1) was found to be driving while impaired and immediately arrested.  An additional impaired motorist was arrested for DUI after he unsuccessfully attempted to avoid the checkpoint.

The personnel within the Maryland State Police, Barrack “U”, and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office are pleased that so many motorists were contacted during this initiative and only two were impaired.  Both law enforcement agencies will continue to do everything possible to make Calvert County’s roadways as safe as possible.   To reduce alcohol and drug related crashes on Calvert’s roadways, the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office will conduct additional sobriety checkpoints “anytime, anywhere”.  Our numerous highway safety partners (Maryland Highway’s Safety Office/State Highway Administration, Calvert County Traffic Safety Council, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, State’s Attorney’s Office, etc) encourage the use of sobriety checkpoints as well as saturation patrols to reduce alcohol related crashes and to locate and apprehend impaired drivers.   

The men and women of the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office extend our wishes for a very safe and sober holiday season and a healthy, prosperous and safe new year.  Contact Lieutenant Homer R. Rich at the Maryland State Police Barrack (410/535-1400) or Sergeant Todd Ireland at the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office (410/535-2800) for more information.