Hatem Bridge DUI Checkpoint Planned: Police

PERRYVILLE, MD - There will be a sobriety checkpoint at the Hatem Bridge toll plaza in Perryville on Friday, Sept. 15, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA).

Police will distribute fliers to educate people about laws regarding driving while intoxicated and ensure that drivers are not impaired. If drivers are impaired, they will be arrested.

The checkpoint will take place at night on Friday, Sept. 15, officials said.

It is part of the state's goal to curb traffic deaths from impaired driving.

Approximately 800 people were killed in crashes involving drugs and/or alcohol between 2011 and 2015 in Maryland, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. During that time period, officials said there were also more than 2,200 serious injuries as a result of driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol.

"The MDTA Police will continue to increase awareness about impaired driving through sobriety checkpoints and high visibility enforcement," MDTA Police Chief Colonel Jerry Jones said in a statement.

By law, authorities must announce sobriety checkpoints. A Supreme Court case in 1990 determined citizens' rights against unlawful search and seizure are not violated if checkpoints are publicized in advance.

Image via Shutterstock.

Editor's note: This article has been udpated to correct the number of those killed or injured in Maryland in drug and alcohol-related incidents.