2 checkpoints stop 1,847 vehicles; 27 charged

5/21/2006

Two sobriety checkpoints in northwest Ohio from about 10 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. yesterday led to 14 arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired, authorities said.

More than 660 vehicles passed through the checkpoint in the 5600 block of Central Avenue in Sylvania Township, police said.

Of those, 636 vehicles were checked and 13 drivers were arrested on a charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence. The average blood-alcohol content of those arrested was 0.149 percent, with six drivers refusing the test, police said. The legal limit for a motorist in Ohio is 0.08 percent.

Six people were charged with seat belt violations.

In Erie County, a checkpoint was set up south of Sandusky on U.S. 250 south of State Rt. 2 in Perkins Township where 1,211 motorists were checked and 76 were diverted for further investigation. One driver charged with DUI tested with a blood-alcohol level of 0.12 percent, and five were charged with driving without a valid license. One person was charged with an open-container violation and another with possession of a controlled substance.