The Suffolk County Police Department, assisted by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and MTA Police Department, arrested eight motorists during an overnight sobriety checkpoint in Patchogue.
Police officers from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Highway Patrol Bureau SAFE-T Team conducted a joint sobriety checkpoint operation with Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs and MTA Police Department at Waverly Plaza from 11 p.m. on May 22 until 2:30 a.m. on May 23. Volunteers and staff from MADD also assisted, giving educational information to motorists.
The checkpoint was part of a holiday weekend enforcement crackdown targeting alcohol and drug-impaired driving. A total of 496 vehicles went through the checkpoint.
Five motorists were charged with Driving While Intoxicated and three were charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs. One of the drivers charged with DWAI was also charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child for having a 16-year-old passenger in the vehicle.
All eight motorists were arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on May 23.
Another driver was charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol and was issued a Field Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on June 12.