DWI Checkpoint Planned In Hudson County Friday

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs this Friday, as they did last Friday.

This time, they will conduct a DWI checkpoint in the area of the 7400 Block of North Bergen.

They said, "The primary purpose of this checkpoint is not to make arrests but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired. During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs."

Parents and children have died in crashes with impaired drivers, including a local case.

In 2017, Pam O'Donnell of Bayonne, who had survived a brutal battle with cancer, found out that her husband and 5-year-old daughter had been
killed in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. Investigators later found out that a driver who was under the influence of drugs crashed into their car. O'Donnell was tasked with telling her other daughter, 6, the news. She founded the Catch You Later Foundation to raise awareness about impaired driving.

Sheriff Frank Schillari offered these tips to help keep drivers and pedestrians safe this summer:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, car service, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and an inaction could cost a life.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.