Local News - December 2003

Several charges filed at Booze It checkpoint

By ALICE SMITH, Staff Writer

————————————

Law enforcement officers from all over the County and region braved frigid temperatures and gusty winds to conduct a large Booze It and Lose It checkpoint Friday night in Lincolnton.

Authorities from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Lincolnton Police Department, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and N.C. Department of Wildlife gathered on N.C. 27 at Carolinas Shopping Center from 9 a.m. to around 12:30 a.m.

Blue lights bounced off businesses and illuminated one of the state’s BATmobiles, a mobile breath-alcohol testing unit, which was parked in the shopping center’s lot.

Drivers made their way through the checkpoint. Those who turned down Buffalo Shoals road and tried to avoid the scene were quickly stopped by awaiting officers.

“If you drink and drive in Lincoln County, law enforcement agencies are determined to stop you,” said 1st Sgt. Doug Norwood with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities checked vehicles and drivers, looking for signs of possible impaired drivers.

“We look for any kind of suspicion that a driver may have been drinking,” Norwood said. That includes  looking at the driver’s eyes and detecting an odor of alcohol.

Sobriety tests are performed if there is reasonable suspicion.

Toward the end of the checkpoint, a man suspected of DWI stood in the middle turn lane of N.C. 27 wearing shorts and no shoes.

At the direction of the officers, he touched his finger to his nose and then stood on one foot while holding the other in front of him. After performing a breath-alcohol test, the man was found to not be under the influence of alcohol and was released.

Those who blew above the state’s .08 limit were taken to the BATmobile. 

North Carolina has five BATmobiles, which are taken around the state for different checkpoints.

They allow a magistrate and all necessary equipment to be on the scene and for testing to take place immediately.

The night yielded a typical number of arrests and citations for that type of checkpoint, said 1st Sgt. P.H. Phillips with the Highway Patrol.

Five people were charged with DWI, Phillips said. Other charges include: seven revoked licenses, three seat belt violations, three child safety seat violations, 40 other traffic offenses, two misdemeanor drug offenses, four other criminal offenses, six no operator’s license and one graduated driver’s license being used outside the acceptable time frame.

Officers were satisfied with the results and will continue their efforts to reduce the number of accidents, injuries and deaths that result from impaired driving offenses.

“When you drink and drive, you put everybody in jeopardy,” state Trooper Mark Guess said.

——–———————

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

Terms and Conditions