By Craig Brown
Law enforcement agencies from Dillon, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Darlington Counties and units of South Carolina State Troopers met with agencies from Robeson County and units of North Carolina State Troopers recently at Brandi’s Restaurant for the annual Hands Across the Border DUI enforcement program.

Lt. Jimmy Horton of the Bennettsville Police Department has been chairman of the program since 2003.
Horton works very hard to bring together the various units consisting of city, county and state police to this annual event that helps rid the drunk-driving menace from our highways. In addition to law enforcement, Donna Carter and Debbie Sellers were present representing Mothers Against Drunk Drivers “MADD”.

Lt. Horton opened the event by welcoming everyone and introducing speakers, Dillon County Sheriff Major Hulon, Capt. Joe Nell of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Sgt. Daniel Hilburn of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Dillon County Sheriff’s Office Chaplin, Haywood Proctor gave prayer for the safety of the officers and then blessed the meal that consisted of fried chicken as the main course.

After the meal, Lt. Horton introduced additional speakers, Capt. Freddy Johnson of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Brian Truex of S.L.E.D., Brent Kelly, Law Enforcement Liaison for the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and Jennifer Flowers, Alcohol Enforcement Team Coordinator.

At least 80 plus officers representing the South Carolina Fourth Judicial District and Robeson County and state troopers from both states received final instructions about the night’s operations.

The North Carolina units set up about one quarter of a mile north of I-95 and the South Carolina units set up about a half of a mile south of the South of the Border motel complex. Several recent deaths and injuries have been attributed to drunk drivers in Dillon and Robeson Counties including the serious injury to Officer Jacob Richardson of the Dillon Police Department. Robeson County also reported 20 homicides this year with most attributed to alcohol or drug issues. K-9 units were available if drugs were suspected in vehicles and Trooper Bobby Faircloth, Jr. of the South Carolina Highway Patrol stated that the SCHP would provide breath analyzer test for suspected impaired drivers.

Although the main purpose of the road check was to remove drunk or impaired drivers several non-moving violations tickets were issued to drivers that had expired or no driver’s licenses.
License tag issues, no registration and no proof of insurance. The drunk driver does not set out to harm anyone but a motor vehicle is many times more deadly than Dirty Harry’s .44 magnum.

A true friend is one that does everything he or she can to stop a friend or relative from driving while impaired. Plead with someone, take the keys, offering to drive them home or whatever it takes and if all else fails call the police.
Being charged with DUI is better than being charged with felony DUI that resulted in the deaths of the innocent. Saving someone’s life or property by informing to the police is not wrong it is the right thing to do. No one likes to get a traffic ticket but think of what the roads would be like without the dedicated men and women that serve our law enforcement agencies.

I urge all citizens to stand behind their local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Do what you can to save lives and report the drunk driver.