Booze it and lose it gets drunk drivers off the road

Gov. Bev Perdue announced Thursday that state and local law enforcement officers removed 816 impaired drivers from state roadways during the Halloween “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, which ran Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

A total of 17,573 traffic and criminal citations were issued statewide.

In Lenoir County, 15 DWI arrests were made, while in Greene County three DWI arrests were made. In Jones County, there was one DWI arrest during the holiday weekend.

Lenoir County had the second highest number of DWI checkpoints in the state with 22, following Pitt County’s 34 checkpoints. There were 143 total traffic and criminal violations in Lenoir County alone during the recent campaign.

Sgt. Scott Hemby of the N.C. Highway Patrol said about four state troopers from the Kinston office went to Greenville to assist state and local law enforcement during the campaign while two state troopers worked checkpoints in Lenoir and Jones counties.

“Overall, it was a success,” Hemby said.

During the Governor’s Highway Safety Program campaign, officers statewide conducted more than 2,157 sobriety checkpoints and dedicated patrols. Counties with the highest number of DWI citations included Mecklenburg with 80, Wake with 59, and New Hanover with 36 DWI arrests.

Officers also issued 1,189 safety belt violations, 252 child passenger safety violations, 4,975 speeding violations and 359 drug charges statewide. Additionally, they apprehended 147 fugitives from justice and recovered 24 stolen vehicles.

“Over the weekend, our roads were a little less scary thanks to state and local law enforcement officers that participated in this life-saving campaign,” Perdue said. “More families were able to enjoy the fun holiday due to their efforts and dedication to highway safety.”

Chris Lavender can be reached at 252-559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.