APPLETON, Maine — Fifteen people were issued summonses after police broke up an underage drinking party in a gravel pit.
Deputies from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded early Sunday afternoon to an anonymous complaint of a party at a gravel pit off Collinstown Road in Appleton. Deputies found approximately 50 people around a bonfire in the gravel pit, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Many of the people ran for the woods as officers arrived, according to Chief Deputy Tim Carroll.
The end result was that 10 juveniles were issued summonses for illegal possession of liquor by a minor, and one juvenile was summoned for possession of tobacco.
Four adults who were under the drinking age of 21 years old — Jade Snider, 19, of Union; Angela Hickman, 19, of Rockland; Alexis Stone, 18, of Rockland; and Matthew Leigh, 19, of Washington — also were issued summonses for illegal possession of liquor by a minor.
Three vehicles were towed from the property when the drivers could not be located.
Of the approximately 30 people who stayed, those of legal age were identified and allowed to leave along with the others once deputies identified sober drivers.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office obtained grant money to help combat underage drinking and operating under the influence laws as summer winds down, Carroll said. He said there will be continued efforts of additional personnel randomly patrolling and concentrated efforts of sobriety checkpoints throughout Knox County in the coming months.
“Our ultimate goal is to check many and find nothing for violations to ensure safety of our youth and our roadways,” he said.