OVI CHECKPOINT NABS 4

Elyria – Drivers traveling north on 57 in Elyria near Bell Ave Saturday night were delayed slightly by an OVI Checkpoint organized by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Elyria Police Department.

The Checkpoint was funded by Federal Grant funds and was planned to deter and intercept impaired drivers.

Lieutenant Travis Huges, Commander of the Elyria Post of The Ohio State Highway Patrol said that the checkpoint is about being proactive. “This is a very serious problem here in Lorain County, both with our fatal crashes and injury crashes so this is on thing that we do to deter and decrease those numbers.”

Hughes said that the selection of Checkpoint locations is not a random thing – no throwing darts at a Lorain County map to decide where one will take place. “Through our crash records, where a lot of OVI arrests are made and where a lot of OVI crashes occur – we look at the whole picture and where we see a cluster, it pops right out. The locations we choose are certainly not just random, we do a lot of research because we when we do it we want to get it right.”

Here’s how it works. A line of State Troopers and Elyria Police Officers stood on 57 just north off Bell Ave in the northbound lane. As the cars pull up Officers approach the driver, introduce themselves and advise the drivers about the Checkpoint. The Officers check for a valid drivers license, ask a few questions and if there is no detection of alcohol the driver continues on their way. If the Officer detects that the driver might be impaired, the driver is asked to pull over into a secure area where a field sobriety test is conducted. Hughes said that all drivers that were arrested Saturday night were given the opportunity to call someone to come to the scene and pick them up instead of going to jail.

In the past when TMC NEWS has covered Checkpoints people will comment or Email and say that they are only out to make money through fines and court costs – Lieutenant Huges said that is also a misconception. “My biggest contention is that is it not about money, rather it is all about safety. Our driving force is the crashes that have happened. The injury crashes – the Fatal crashes. The last thing that we want to do as Troopers is to make a death notification to relatives as a result of an alcohol related crash. We have found that these work very well to deter this. So money is not a motivating factor at all, it’s about safety. It has been proven that alcohol enforcement, OVI enforcement will decrease the fatal and injury related crashes.”

Huges said that one of the very first drivers stopped in the Checkpoint told him that he was happy to see the Officers doing what they were doing. Hughes said that although he didn’t expect every driver to hold that feeling, it was nice to hear that right at the start.

As the cones were being picked up at 2 a.m. the numbers came in – 4 impaired drivers were removed from the road according to Hughes. Additionally numerous drivers were found to be without a valid driver’s license or any license at all.

Hughes said that he believed the Checkpoint was a success, “Anytime we remove someone who is impaired from the road that is a success.”

Editors Note:
Saturday night was only the 5th night on the job for Lieutenant Travis Huges as Post 47’s newly appointed Commander. Hughes replaces Lieutenant Glenn Peterson who has been transferred to the Medina Post of the State Patrol. During Peterson’s time at Post 47 he has been a friend to TMC NEWS, always professional and helpful when we turned to him with questions.

Lieutenant Huges transferred to Post 47 from the Office of Training, Selection and Standards Unit where he has served since January of this year.

Hughes began his Patrol career as a Cadet Dispatcher at the Bellefontaine and Marysville posts in 1992. After joining the 127th Academy Class in May 1995 and earning his commission the following November, Hughes’ first assignment was at the Lima Post. During his career with the Patrol, Hughes earned four Ace Awards in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002 for excellence in auto larceny enforcement. After transferring to the Office of Training, Selection and Standards at the Academy in Columbus in September 2004, Hughes earned the rank of Sergeant in December 2004 and became Assistant Post Commander at the Sandusky Post. He returned to the Lima Post as Assistant Commander in 2007.

Originally from West Liberty, Hughes currently resides in Lima and has a daughter, Kennedy.

Hughes said that he looks forward to his work as the Commander in Lorain County. “This is a high volume traffic area – a lot of crashes, keeps our Troopers very busy which is good – keeps us on our toes. Even with the tight budget constraints we still do a good job out there with the number of Troopers that we have out on the road. Like with tonight, I want people to know that we are a proactive Post to remove impaired drivers from the roadway. We are not just going to sit back and react to the results of their actions – when they crash and injure or kill someone else or themselves.”

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