Only 10 vehicles were stopped for suspected alcohol and drug violations during a three-hour DUI checkpoint Saturday, July 4, along U.S. 160 between Cortez and Towaoc. No citations were issued.
“I was surprised that no DUI or DUID arrests were made,” said Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin.
Nowlin said that the checkpoint, near intersection of County Road 21 near mile marker 29, was the first in Montezuma County in many years.
“It’s a proactive step for community safety and awareness of this life-threatening problem,” he said.
One of those stopped and questioned was a southbound vehicle with a shattered rear tire. A deputy said in his three-page report that the vehicle was rolling on a wheel rim and dragging a red hose.
“Well sir, I have been driving like this on the side of the road all the way from Cortez,” the female driver explained. “I am just going to the casino to meet my friend.”
The deputy reported that the vehicle was packed to the roof with hundreds of items and added that the 48-year-old New Mexico driver barely had space on the front seat to operate the vehicle. The deputy also noticed a “faint odor” of chemicals.
A Bureau of Indian Affairs K-9 unit assisting at the checkpoint reportedly hit on the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver said that her boyfriend had been arrested hours before by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office for methamphetamine possession.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, authorities discovered a dozen items used to manufacture meth; a multitude of used syringes; 14 cellphones; and fire-damaged photos and items of clothing. The driver said the latter items were all salvaged from a mobile home meth explosion in Farmington.
“All residues found were tested with a variety of NIK filed tests; however, no illegal substances were found,” the deputy wrote.
The driver agreed to perform several voluntary roadside maneuvers, which she completed satisfactorily. The vehicle was left at the scene, and the driver was provided a courtesy ride to the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Casino.
“I know of no other reports,” said Nowlin, stating that every fifth vehicle was stopped at the DUI checkpoint. “I am very pleased that it was a safe night.”
Nowlin said Colorado transportation officials made public notices about DUI checkpoints across the state during the holiday weekend, but his agency wasn’t required to notify local residents. He added that Montezuma County’s next joint checkpoint with the Colorado State Patrol was tentatively set for Aug. 8. Nowlin said the public safety efforts were made possible from Colorado Department of Transportation grant funding.
During the local July 4th checkpoint, more than 1,400 vehicles were counted and about 90 percent of them were southbound. Authorities made contact with 110 drivers, stopping 10 for further questioning.
Because of heavy traffic, authorities allowed all southbound vehicles to pass through the DUI checkpoint without contact from 10:30 p.m. to 10:55 p.m. and again from 11:15 p.m. to midnight, at which time the checkpoint ended.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
