Pennsylvania Man Charged with DUI After Setting Up Fake Checkpoint

A Pennsylvania man found himself in a great deal of legal trouble after being arrested for driving under the influence. According to police, he had set up a fake drunk driving checkpoint, only to be charged with a DUI himself once actual police officers arrived at the scene to investigate.

According to authorities in Somerset, the 20-year-old man pled guilty to drunk driving, possessing instruments of crime and impersonating a police officer. Officers say the man was using a flashing blue light bar and had parked his car diagonally across State Route 601, then got out to set up road flares. All this occurred at approximately 4 a.m. on March 30. The man reportedly stopped a motorist and told her he was with the “Drug and Alcohol Division,” demanding to see her identification. He tried to hand a BB gun to the passenger of the car when police arrived, saying he couldn’t be caught holding it.

What is a DUI checkpoint?

A DUI checkpoint is a location on a road or highway where police officers are stationed to check drivers for any potential signs of impairment or intoxication. They are often implemented as part of a larger overall drunk driving prevention program.

Your constitutional rights still apply should you be stopped at a DUI checkpoint. Officers are allowed to pull you over for a short amount of time, but they are not allowed to search your car or your person unless they have probable cause to do so. You are also not required to answer any of their questions, and you should never admit to breaking the law.

To learn more about your options if you’ve been charged with drunk driving or a related crime, speak with trusted Reading DUI defense attorney David R. Eshelman.