NEWRY, Maine — A traffic safety roadblock last month netted police a New Hampshire man who’d been on the run for nine years, Oxford County Sheriff’s Capt. Hart Daley said by email recently.
Jeffrey Dewhurst, 36, was caught June 23 after a brief search in the wooded area near the Newry public boat launch, where he fled on foot, Daley said. Dewhurst was charged with being a fugitive from justice and taken to Oxford County Jail in Paris to await extradition.
He was wanted on a New Hampshire warrant issued March 12, 2003, on a charge of failure to appear/habitual offender driving while intoxicated (second offense), Daley said. The extradition was for all New England states.
He said Dewhurst was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his girlfriend, “who turned the vehicle around just prior to the roadblock to avoid being stopped.”
Deputy Sheriff George Cayer stopped the vehicle at the Newry boat launch and while he was checking their names, the girlfriend, who wasn’t identified, and Dewhurst fled on foot, Daley said.
However, Cayer found the girlfriend, and she cooperated by calling Dewhurst and asking him to turn himself in, he said.
Dewhurst walked out of the woods and turned himself in to Daley, who was on Route 2.
“There are many wanted people traveling the Route 2 corridor,” Daley said. “We usually have several people turn on the roadblock for a variety of reasons.” The roadblocks are used to educate motorists about safe driving habits and differences between Maine, New Hampshire and Canadian motoring laws.
During the June 23 roadblock, 10 uniformed deputies and Maine State Police troopers stopped 828 vehicles and contacted 1,657 occupants, Daley said.
“Many of the motorists were local residents, many were vacationing in Maine and traveling to coastal and mountainous regions, some were taking the opportunity to visit the new Oxford Casino, and others were traveling to numerous U.S. locations to include 24 different states and four Canadian provinces: Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island,” Daley said.
Also during the roadblock, 44 warnings/summonses were issued for the following violations: safety belt, equipment, studded-tire, inspection, registration, license and smoking in a vehicle with a child.
While the June 23 safety roadblock was being conducted, Daley said similar roadblocks were simultaneously conducted in Errol County, N.H., and on the Canadian side of the border in areas of Quebec.
The safety checks were conducted among the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police, Errol County Sheriff’s Office in New Hampshire, and the Surete Du Quebec Police as part of the collaborative effort designated “Borders Without Boundaries.”
Daley said the safety roadblock’s goals are to contact and educate motorists about safe driving habits. Among these are safety belt use, cellular telephone use and restrictions, distracted driving issues, fatigued motorist awareness, driving under the influence laws, equipment violations, border documentation, wildlife safety and awareness.
Read more stories at the Sun Journal.
Show me your papers……. Land of the Free. I don’t think so.
Errol County, N.H? Errol is a town in Coos County NH
“Borders Without Boundaries” ‘safety checks’ look just like “Faking Probable Cause.” And I’m pretty sure that turning around to avoid one of these stops has been held not to be ‘probable cause’ in itself for stopping a vehicle.
Hey, LePage, here’s some governmental malpractice you can get onto that’ll make the Left and Right both happy.
Big deal what heros
It is none of anyone’s business where I am going or what I am doing unless I choose to share it. The delay and stress of being stopped is very upsetting. I would’ve turned around simply to avoid the adrenalin rush that makes me ill for days afterwards.
Another group that ignores the Constitution in the name of public safety. Your local police.
They need to prove they are worth the money we pay them, and they are not.
rolling toll booths…thats all “safety checks” are..total B.S.
A safety check should make no one ill, unless you have made a conscious choice to break the law. ‘Land of the Free’ was established to give us freedom to ‘worship’ the way we choose, and not the way the government chooses for us. Vehicle safety does save lives, and keeps us all safe, especially those children who do not have any choice in the matter.
how about if your on your way to work or an important occasion and you get stuck sitting in a line of cars waiting to be safety check’d. these stops are BS and should not be allowed.
We have safety checks in the form of vehicle inspections every year. Public safety announcements that are free for the government to tell us not to drink and drive and to buckle up.
These are an infringement of our rights. (fourth amendment) Stopping you and trying to find anything wrong even if nothing is visible.
So you can ask a passenger of a car for ID in a safety check?
my car overheated while waiting in line at one of those roadblocks a couple years ago. blew my engine out on the highway just so they could confirm i was american.
More like the KGB of Maine. Your papers please. Totally Unconstitutional.
I sure do feel safer now that they have the big bad fugitive in custody.
A man with a 10 year old DUI is very scary indeed.
If he would have been a murderer or child molester each and every post would be “Thank goodness for road blocks!!!”
The right to proceed unhindered except upon probable cause and a reasonable and articulable suspicion of a criminal offense is the foundation of American’s freedom. These so-called roadblocks – disguised as safety checks – are illegal. My legal opinion – which ain’t worth the price of a bag of salt in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many countries in the world now have far more freedom than the Land of Freedom.
The US Supreme Court already ruled it was ok to do these check points as the road is public and to drive is not a right but a privledge and you agree in the implied consent of signing for the license that you will answer all questions truthfully.