None of the 258 vehicles checked in an OVI (Operating a Vehicle Impaired) checkpoint by the Mount Gilead Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol were diverted on State Route 13/South Main Street on Aug. 16. The Mount Vernon Police Department, Knox County Sheriff's Office, and the Ohio Department of Transportation also participated in the checkpoint.

"We use a diversion area to conduct field sobriety testing or anytime we need to further investigate a vehicle/driver. During our checkpoint, we didn’t divert any vehicles into that area or have any OVI arrests or citations. We had to shut the checkpoint down early due to the incoming thunderstorm," Lt. Coby Holloway, Mount Gilead Post Commander, told the Mount Vernon News.

According to a news release from the Mount Gilead Post, federal grants funded the OVI checkpoint to deter and intercept impaired drivers and raise public awareness of the continued problem of impaired driving on streets and highways. Saturation patrols by local, county, and state law enforcement agencies were performed to combat alcohol and drug-related fatal and severe injury crashes.

Holloway said checkpoint accomplishments are a direct reflection of the commitment and cooperation between law enforcement agencies to keep Knox County roadways safe.