COARSEGOLD – CHP officers from the Oakhurst Area Office checked over 600 drivers for valid licenses and signs of impairment during a Sobriety/Drivers License checkpoint in Coarsegold on Saturday, June 27.
Just over 1,000 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, and 609 cars were actually stopped.
A total of nine cars were pulled to the side to be evaluated for proper licensing or sobriety testing during the operation, which lasted from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Five citations were issued for unlicensed drivers or suspended licenses, and one person was found to be driving under the influence.
The DUI driver was given a chance to find a sober party to retrieve her car, but when that could not be accomplished, the vehicle was towed.
Oakhurst Commander Lt. Jason Daughrity is encouraged by the outcome of the operation.
“Considering the amount of vehicles screened during the lengthy checkpoint operation, the fact that only one impaired driver was arrested is a positive sign that the message to not drink and drive is being heard,” says Daughrity.
The stated goal of the CHP is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of intoxicated and unlicensed drivers. It also sends a clear message to those who consider mixing drinking with driving. A sobriety/license checkpoint is a proven effective tool for achieving this goal, says the CHP, and is designed to augment existing patrol operations.
Funding for this operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Reducing Impaired Driving (RID).
