More DUI Patrols in Westmoreland County Thanks to Grant

downloadThere will likely be more roving DUI checkpoints in central and southern parts of Westmoreland County beginning in October thanks to a $35,000 PennDOT grant.

The funds will be used to coordinate the DUI checkpoints within nine participating communities and is the second DUI Task Force in Westmoreland County.

Communities participating in the roving DUI checkpoints will be: Latrobe, Ligonier Borough, Ligonier Township, Derry Borough, Mount Pleasant Borough, Scottdale Borough, Southwest Greensburg Borough, Seward Borough and Jeannette.

Latrobe K-9 Officer Robert Derk will be the DUI Task Force’s coordinator while Latrobe police Officer Ron Keslar will be the assistant coordinator for the program. Another officer who had been instrumental in obtaining the grant for the area was killed in the line of duty when a DUI driver struck his police vehicle head-on on Route 30. Ligonier Township police Lt. Eric Eslary was killed on May 5th this year.

The Ligonier area man responsible for Eslary’s death has been charged with drunken driving. At the time of the fatal crash, the DUI suspect had a blood-alcohol content twice the legal limit when he went the wrong way on the highway and struck Eslary’s police vehicle.

Officials indicate that the DUI checkpoints can be held on major roads such as Route 30 as well as on smaller or even rural roads. Times that checkpoints are conducted will be different for each of the participating communities.

The task force will have equipment for blood alcohol testing at the checkpoint site including the ability to draw blood at the checkpoint site. This will allow police to arrest DUI suspects at the site where they are stopped.

If you get by the wheel while under the influence of alcohol in the State of Pennsylvania, you are committing a criminal act. For holders of a standard drivers’ license, they should never be behind the wheel with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08 percent.

At the Law Offices of Steven E. Kellis, we focus our practice on the defense of drunken driving cases. Attorney Steven E. Kellis has more than 20 years of experience, as both a prosecutor and a defender of DUI clients, so he understands the law.

If you or a loved one has been accused of an alcohol related accident, no matter how serious the situation may seems, the Law Offices of Steven E. Kellis are here for you and we are on your side. Call today to make an appointment with an attorney who can make a real difference in your defense. You may use the contact form here on our website. We will be here for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.