With the unofficial start of summer right around the corner more Lehigh Valley residents will be hitting the road, and the Pennsylvania State Police are reminding motorists that they will be there to ensure they are doing so responsibly.
Pennsylvania State Police Troop M-Belfast Station announced in a news release Monday that troopers will conduct a Memorial Day weekend DUI checkpoint between Friday, May 27 and Monday, May 30, somewhere within Northampton County.
At a sobriety checkpoint, troopers systematically stop vehicles to view information and observe drivers for behaviors normally associated with alcohol and/or drug impairment.
“As part of STEADD (Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Drivers), each PSP Troop conducts sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols within their respective command areas with the goal to reduce the number of alcohol and drug related fatal and serious crashes,” the news release noted.
“The Pennsylvania State Police is committed to maintaining a safe environment for the motoring public,” they added. “This sobriety checkpoint is intended to achieve this goal.”
The troopers from the Belfast barracks patrol major routes in Northampton County–including I-78 between the Lehigh County line and the New Jersey state line–as well as municipalities such as Williams Township that do not have their own police departments.
The news release also included the following reminder:
Motorists are reminded of the mandates of Title 75 Section 3733, Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police Officer, which stipulates that any driver of a motor vehicle who willfully fails or refuses to bring their vehicle to a stop, or who otherwise flees or attempts to elude a pursuing police officer, commits an offense, graded up to a Felony of the 3rd Degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison, a $15,000 fine, and restitution for damages and/or injuries sustained as a result of the pursuit.
