The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a DUI checkpoint this weekend in the area of the K-Mart on 66th Street North in Kenneth City.
Below is the news release from the Sheriff’s Office and a link to their website:
Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
-Patrol Operations Bureau
-DUI Unit
-Prisoner Transport Unit
-Traffic Crash Investigators
-Community Policing Unit
-K-9 Unit
-Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol
-Explorer Post 900
-Narcotics Division
-Support Services Bureau
St. Petersburg Police Department
Kenneth City Police Department
Probation and Parole
RID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.)
Suncoast Safety Council
What:
In an effort to reduce DUI related injuries, the Sheriff’s Office will conduct a sobriety checkpoint this weekend.
Where:
The checkpoint will be held at 4501 66th Street in Kenneth City. (Kmart)
When:
The checkpoint will be held beginning at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 3014 until 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2014.
How/Why:
In an effort to reduce DUI related injuries, deputies will continue to conduct sobriety checkpoints in Pinellas County. Pinellas County deputies will conduct a DUI Checkpoint at the above listed address in Kenneth City from late Friday into early Saturday morning.
At the checkpoint, Patrol, Community Policing, Narcotics and K-9 deputies will be on the lookout for alcohol and drug impaired drivers. Members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Crash Investigations Unit, the Sheriff’s Citizen Patrol and Explorer Post 900 will assist with non-enforcement related tasks. Along with impaired drivers, deputies will be looking for driver license, registration, insurance, and equipment violations. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Bus will be used for breath testing and the processing of arrested individuals.
This Friday’s checkpoint is dedicated to Elroy “Roy” McConnell, Elroy “Roy” McConnell, III, Nathan McConnell and Kelly McConnell. They died as the result of an alcohol/drug related traffic crash at 22nd Avenue and 9th Street in St. Petersburg. On July 31, 2010 Roy and his three sons went to a late movie. On their way back to their beach rental, an impaired driver ran a red light in excess of 80 mph. The impact drove Roy’s new Ford Fusion into a concrete light pole. The impaired driver sustained a broken leg and his passenger sustained other non-life threatening injuries. He admitted to smoking marijuana and consuming alcohol prior to the crash. His blood alcohol level was .154. He was sentenced to 44 years in prison.
The vehicle involved in the crash will be on site during the checkpoint courtesy of the Pinellas Suncoast Safety Counsel. Members of the family will also be present during the checkpoint.
For more information about the sobriety checkpoint, contact DUI/SEU Sergeant Michael Paniagua at (727) 582-6200; or the Sheriff’s Public Information Office at (727) 582-6221.
