Marion – Friday from 11:00 p.m. until Saturday at 1:00 a.m., officers from the Indiana State Police and the Marion Police Department conducted a checkpoint targeting impaired drivers at 26th and Adams Streets, in Marion.
During the two hour period, 113 vehicles passed through the checkpoint resulting in three people being arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. In addition to the operating while intoxicated arrests, officers made three additional criminal arrests on misdemeanor charges. Officers also issued four citations and three warnings for various traffic offenses.
The purpose of enforcement checkpoints is to remove impaired drivers from Indiana roadways before they cause needless pain, suffering, or death to innocent victims.
Impaired driving remains one of America’s deadliest problems. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2013, 32,719 people were killed nationally in motor vehicle crashes. That same year, 10,076 people were killed in crashes that involved a driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. That means every 52 minutes someone died in a crash involving an impaired driver. In Indiana, in 2014, there were a total of 205,532 crashes, 4,574 involved an alcohol impaired driver, resulting in 101 deaths.
Motorists are encouraged to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911. Give a vehicle description, location, and direction of travel. Never follow an impaired driver.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
