Law enforcement in Smyrna is turning a weekend DUI checkpoint into a memorial for a local Boy Scout who was struck and killed while changing a tire on I-24, using the operation both to honor his memory and to warn drivers about the deadly cost of impaired driving in Rutherford County.
Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers will join the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and Smyrna Police for the effort, which officials say will saturate parts of the county from 6 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday. A checkpoint is planned on Old Nashville Highway near Rocky Fork Road from 10 p.m. to midnight, according to WKRN.
Checkpoint details
Troopers say the saturation patrols will zero in on known DUI-offender areas, with the goal of stopping drunk driving before it starts rather than racking up huge arrest numbers. "We are going to have a lot of units in known DUI offender areas," Cpl. Michael Rodgers said. A similar checkpoint has been held in Clifton’s memory every year since he was killed, according to NewsChannel 5.
Remembering Clifton Braunwalder
The Boy Scout at the center of the tribute is 13-year-old Clifton Braunwalder, who was struck and killed while changing a tire on I-24 near the Sam Ridley Parkway exit in April 2014. The driver left the scene and was later arrested on related charges, according to contemporary reporting by WMOT.
Past checkpoints and results
Previous checkpoints held in Clifton’s name have led to arrests and citations. In one recent operation, officers processed nearly 474 vehicles and identified several impaired drivers along with other violations.
Organizers say keeping the checkpoint highly visible is part safety campaign, part ongoing remembrance, intended to remind motorists what is at stake and to keep the family’s story from fading from public view, according to WGNS.
Clifton’s family says they are grateful that his name is still on the minds of local officers and drivers. "It’s an honor to us that they are helping us keep his memory alive," his father, Norbert Braunwalder, said, as reported by NewsChannel 5. Officials are urging motorists to plan sober rides and to report dangerous driving whenever they see it.
