Sobriety Checkpoint Planned Friday In Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Police are planning to conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Montgomery County on Friday night.

While county police did not disclose the checkpoint's location, enforcement will begin at 10 p.m., authorities said in a news release.

During the event, police said officers will focus on enforcing impaired driving laws by stopping all vehicles going through the checkpoint to have brief conversations with drivers. If impairment is detected, police said drivers will be asked to pull over to undergo a field sobriety test.

"The goal of the checkpoint is to identify and arrest impaired drivers and increase the public's perceived likelihood of detection if they drink and drive," Sgt. Patrick Kepp said.

On the night of Dec. 3, 2015, Montgomery County Officer Noah Leotta was working as a member of the Holiday Alcohol Task Force, a team of officers devoted to detecting alcohol-related offenses, when he was struck by a drunk driver on Rockville Pike. He died a week later.

As a result of the crash, Maryland's legislature passed Noah's Law, which tightened restrictions on motorists who have been convicted of drunk driving.