Recalling Deaths Of Teens, Bucks County Police Plan Six DUI Enforcement Crackdowns

In an instant, four teenagers laid dead on the side of Street Road and four of their friends rested bloodied and battered inside and around a mangled Chevrolet Blazer.

The cause of the September 13, 1985 crash that took the lives of the four Bucks County high schoolers: driving while intoxicated.

The date is still fresh in the minds of Bucks County Chief of Prosecution Matt Weintraub and Upper Southampton Police Lt. Craig Rudisill, both men went to William Tennent High School with the victims. That’s why on Tuesday the two veteran law enforcers stood with other police officials from around Lower Bucks County to announce a series of DUI prevention and enforcement events throughout the county in the coming year.

The press conference near the site of the fatal 1985 crash in Upper Southampton was purposeful. The timing, the day before one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year, was also no accident.

Weintraub announced a PennDOT grant will allow the for 20 extra police officers to conduct roving DUI enforcement from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Street Road from Warrington to Bensalem. Officers from Bensalem, Hilltown, Lower Southampton, Middletown, Penndel, Upper Southampton, Warminster, Warrington and Warwick will hit the Street Road corridor at 10 p.m. and work to find those driving while intoxicated on what is typically know as one of the most popular party nights of the year.

“I’m hoping people will take the hint and we won’t have to make any arrests,” Weintraub said. “But I suspect we will make plenty.

“I know we’re not supposed to have quota, but tomorrow night’s quota is zero,” he added.

Over the next year, Bucks County law enforcement officials plan to work together on five more similar DUI enforcement nights. Two more will be intense roving patrols and three will likely be DUI checkpoints at stationary locations, Weintraub said. Patrols and checkpoints are being eyed at locations in central and upper Bucks County and closer by in Newtown and Middletown.

“This is the biggest enforcement I think we’ve ever done,” Weintraub said.

County law enforcement cited the fact that 300 people died in vehicle crashes across the country over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2013 as a reason the stepped up enforcement is needed. In 2014, there were 16 DUI-related wrecks and one death over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“The knowledge that their enforcement effort saves lives fuels their commitment to improving traffic safety,” Bensalem police Sgt. Robert Bugsch said of the officers partaking the in the DUI patrols.

Malcolm Friend of Mothers Against Drunk Driving was in attendance at Tuesday’s press event and called for no more deaths caused by impaired drivers. He added that DUI is a entirely preventable crime.

With taxi services, designated driver services and ride sharing platforms like Uber so present in Bucks County, Weintraub said he can’t understand why anyone would drive intoxicated.

As part of their effort to curb DUI accidents, police said they plan to make their presence known and will be installing signs during increased enforcement periods.

Weintraub showed off his yearbook that featured the photos of the four teens killed –  Christopher Avram, 17, Brian Ball, 17, Morris Freedenberg, 17 and Robert Schweiss, 18 – in the 1985 DUI crash.

“This initiative can’t turn back time to bring our friends back,” Weintraub said. “I wish it could. But I know it will prevent many others from suffering the same fate.”