Sobriety Checkpoint Nets Two DUI Arrests, Numerous Violations

During a sobriety checkpoint that was held at two locations on the night of Saturday, July 25, and early morning hours of Sunday, July 26, police arrested two motorists on drunken driving charges and issued 56 violations to drivers for various motor vehicle offenses, according to Sergeant Douglas Wisentaner.

From 7 to 11 pm on July 25, the checkpoint was staged on Church Hill Road (Route 6), near its intersection with The Boulevard. From 11 pm on July 25, to 3 am on July 26, the checkpoint was held on Wasserman Way (Route 860) at its intersection with Trades Lane at Fairfield Hills.

Both of the arrests made for alleged drunken driving occurred while the checkpoint was underway on Wasserman Way, police said.

At about 12:07 am July 26, police said they stopped motorist Bardhyl Murtishi, 20, of Watertown and found him to be intoxicated. Police said they charged him with driving under the influence while under age 21.

Police transported Murtishi to the police station for arrest processing, after which he was released on $100 bail for an August 10 arraignment at Danbury Superior Court.

Then at 12:18 am, police stopped motorist Brian E. Dick, 20, of Brookfield and had him perform sobriety tests. Based on the results police charged Dick with driving under the influence while under age 21 and also with making a restricted turn.

Following arrest processing, police released Dick on $1,000 bail for an August 10 arraignment at Danbury Superior Court.

Police said they conduct such sobriety checkpoints to remove intoxicated drivers from the roads and thus reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents, and the injuries and fatalities that stem from those accidents. All motorists who travel through the checkpoints are stopped and briefly interviewed in seeking to find drivers who are intoxicated.

Besides the two arrests for drunken driving, police issued 56 violations to motorists for various motor vehicular violations, Sgt Wisentaner said.

Police said they issued 31 warnings for failure to display a marker plate or a registration sticker, ten warnings for failure to have functioning headlamps, two warnings for failure to carry a vehicle registration, one warning for having an improper muffler, and two warnings for failure to wear a seatbelt.

Also, police issued one warning each for the offenses of failure to keep to the right on a curve, making an improper turn, following too closely, failure to keep to the right, and driving with a defective windshield.

Police also issued two infractions for driving an unregistered vehicle, one infraction for failure to renew a driver’s license, and two infractions for violation of curfew and passenger restrictions.

Police plan to hold more sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols in the coming months, Sgt Wisentaner said.

The Federal Highway Safety Program covers 75 percent of town police’s overtime costs associated with the heightened DUI enforcement program.