On July 29 the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office along with the Maryland State Police conducted a sobriety checkpoint on Breezy Point Road in the area of the Breeze Inn Country Store, Chesapeake Beach. The checkpoint was conducted as a continuing effort to educate the citizens travelling the roads of Calvert County about the dangers involved with consuming alcohol and then driving a vehicle.
Signs were placed alerting drivers about the checkpoint over 100 yards from the beginning of the checkpoint. The location of the sign placements and the checkpoint are captured on the attached maps of the area. The placement of the signs gave motorists the opportunity to avoid the checkpoint by driving past the checkpoint location on Md. Rt. 261 from direction, north or south. It also allowed motorists travelling west on Breezy Point Road to avoid the checkpoint by making a right turn onto Pinewood Terrace or making a left turn into the parking lot of the Breeze Inn Country Store and going the opposite direction. The signs are four foot square reflective signs signifying there is a checkpoint ahead. The checkpoint was set up and the first vehicle was contacted was at 5:39 p.m. The checkpoint was concluded at 8:18 p.m.
A total of 529 vehicles entered the checkpoint with nine of those vehicles being escorted to the testing areas for suspected violations of the State’s DUI laws. Three motorists were arrested for violating the State’s DUI laws. Maryland State Police Troopers arrested two additional people on saturation patrols for violating the State’s DUI Laws. The checkpoint was funded through grant funds obtained from the Maryland Highway Safety Office.
Sheriff Mike Evans said “The hard work of our deputies and troopers during this checkpoint may have saved some lives this weekend. I can only hope that the message gets out to all motorists that laws against driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs will be strictly enforced in Calvert County!”
