With five of the seven deaths on New Jersey roadways during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday weekend involving passengers in vehicles, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced stepped up DWI/Traffic enforcement this Thanksgiving. The enforcement effort will concentrated throughout the Ocean County area and consist of numerous checkpoints/roving patrols searching for impaired drivers. In making his announcement, Prosecutor Coronato reminded drivers that Thanksgiving is a time for thanks, not mourning avoidable tragedies caused by irresponsible drivers.
Prosecutor Coronato stated, “Last year the majority of deaths came to passengers riding in vehicles. Drivers must remember the safety of their passengers and others depends solely on their commitment to drive responsibility. The Thanksgiving holiday is for celebrating family and loved ones. We beg those who get behind the wheel this holiday to drive responsibly and make smart choices to assure this holiday remains a time for celebration and not mourning.”
Beyond targeting inattentive and aggressive drivers, the detail will also focus on detecting, educating, deterring, arresting, and vigorously prosecuting impaired drivers. The program targets those under the influence of alcohol, but in response to Ocean County’s drug crisis also utilizes an addition of two Drug Recognition Experts at each check point to detect those under the influence of narcotics. The county also oversees a countywide call out system for DRE’s to respond and assist agencies in conducting evaluations of subjects suspected to be operating a motor vehicle under the influence of narcotics. During the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday weekend two of six fatal accidents involved drugs or alcohol.
Prosecutor Coronato concluded by stating, “The last three years have seen a steady increase in New Jersey roadway deaths – 480 deaths in 2015, 534 in 2016, and 540 deaths to date in 2017. These statistics are tremendously tragic and unacceptable. Thankfully, Ocean County had no fatalities during the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday. The dedicated law enforcement officers of our county will spend their holiday away from family trying to repeat that zero fatality weekend. Please do your part by simply driving safely.”
The checkpoint program, which is funded in part by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, will be conducted by local police agencies in conjunction with Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit focusing on both intoxicated and drug impaired drivers. The program is operated/coordinated by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Vehicular Homicide Unit under the direction of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Michael Weatherstone.