Impaired Driving Checkpoint Planned In Hudson County This Weekend

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Hudson County officials have planned an impaired checkpoint this weekend at a busy intersection.

The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs this Saturday, said a spokesperson.

The checkpoint will be placed in the area of Paterson Plank Road and Mountain Road in Jersey City, just up the hill from the Hoboken border.

Families have been destroyed by drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol, including in Hudson County.

In 2017, Pam O'Donnell of Bayonne, who had just survived a brutal battle with cancer, found out that her husband and 5-year-old daughter were
killed in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. Investigators later foundout 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.

The county 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. The Sheriff’s Office will also have extra patrols throughout the county in an effort to curb driving while intoxicated while also taking part in the Hudson County Vision Zero Task Force in order to make all of our roadways safer."

Sheriff Frank Schillari offered the following 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.