Montgomery County's Holiday Alcohol Task Force, specialized in curbing seasonal driving under the influence, reported arresting 73 drivers on suspicion of DUI since their operations ramped up on November 20, 2024. In a recent series of incidents, three more alleged impaired drivers were apprehended over one weekend.
According to a press release from the Montgomery County Police Department, the first incident occurred just past midnight on Saturday. A 34-year-old woman failed to smoothly perform the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and was subsequently arrested in Gaithersburg. Notably, upon searching her possessions, a loaded handgun was found in her bag. Though the woman held a valid Maryland concealed carry permit, the weapon was confiscated due to her impaired condition. She now faces charges related to both DUI and firearms violations.
In a separate encounter on Cherry Hill Road, a 48-year-old man managed to reverse into a police cruiser after stopping at a flashing yellow signal. Following this mishap, task force officers established the man was under the influence and charged him with a DUI and other traffic offenses.
The task force officers also responded to a collision in Wheaton, where a 17-year-old driver ran a red light, causing a crash that resulted in minor injuries to the other vehicle's passengers. The teenager was found to be under the influence and, after being taken into custody, was charged with a DUI and released to his parents' supervision.
These accounts reflect only a portion of DUI enforcement during this period, exclusively those by the task force, and do not account for additional arrests by patrol officers in their regular duties. Ultimately, the total number of DUI arrests by Montgomery County officers during this timeframe is even higher.
