On December 1 around 2:45 p.m., the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office received a call about a possible drunk driver in the area of Orange Plank Rd near the Orange County line.
Senior Deputy T. Kreiter was in the area of West Catharpin Rd and Dulin Lane in Orange County when the suspect vehicle came into his lane of travel striking the deputy’s vehicle head-on at 3:00pm.
Kreiter was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Orange County Sheriff’s office investigated the accident and arrested John Anthony Fields, 57, of Spotsylvania for DUI, reckless driving and failure to drive on the right side of the highway. Fields was incarcerated in the Central Virginia Regional Jail.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
Spotsylvania Sheriff Roger Harris expressed his thanks that no one was seriously injured and reminds drivers who choose to be irresponsible that Spotsylvania deputies will continue to be aggressive about enforcing DUI laws.
Beginning December 13, the Spotsylvania Sherrif’s Office will be taking part in the “Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over” campaign run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to NHTSA, a total of 851 lives were lost in December 2020 to drunk-driving crashes. A total of 11,654 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2020.
NHTSA has the following recommendations for drivers this holiday season:
- Never drink and drive.
- Don’t let someone get behind the wheel if that person has been drinking.
- If you’re hosting a gathering, make sure everyone has a sober ride home.
- Call 911 if you see a drunk driver.
- Always wear your seat belt. It’s your best defense against impaired drivers.
by Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FXBG Advance
This article originally appeared in the Fredricksburg Advance. Republished with permission.