Old Orchard Beach Sees 14 OUI Arrests In Just One Week

What is wrong with people? I'm going to go on a bit of a rant here, because seeing the number of OUI arrests that the Old Orchard Beach Police Department made between July 5 and July 13 is outrageous and irresponsible.

14 OUI Arrests

I get it. The Fourth of July is a day for celebration, with cookouts, music, and adult beverages. However, with 14 arrests and 9 of them in just one day, people need to think before they get behind the wheel.

The legal blood alcohol limit in Maine is 0.08%. If you're above that, you could go to jail. What's worse, though, is getting behind the wheel when you are not completely sober and causing an accident that could get someone killed.

Deadly Accident Rocked Oxford County in 1979

I remember this day very well, even though I was only eight at the time.

According to the Sun Journal, 18-year-old David Blanchard, who was a 1978 Telstar High School graduate, was charged with OUI after his car plunged off a 10-foot embankment into the water in Locke Mills, Maine.

The above photo from Google Maps shows where the accident happened. In response to the accident, a new bridge was built that is in place today.

Blanchard's intoxication caused the deaths of passengers 18-year-old Bradley Boyce, who was found dead in the water, 15-year-old Susan Osgood of Locke Mills, 16-year-old Felicia Moffitt of Bethel, 17-year-old Gerald Swan of Locke Mills, and 18-year-old Eric Wentworth of Bryant Pond, all students at Telstar High School in Bethel.

Project Graduation Was Born

Oxford Hills High School hosted the very first Project Graduation after this tragic accident, and it became a popular nationwide phenomenon. It's something that those who have been in the Oxford Hills area for a long time will never forget.

I hope this tragic story from decades ago makes drivers stop and think before they get behind the wheel. If you've been drinking, find a designated driver to get you home safely and keep others from harm's way.

A big thank you to the Old Orchard Police Department for their work in stopping those who shouldn't be behind the wheel and processing them accordingly. Thank you for saving lives.