By GLENN KAHL

The Bulletin

A DUI and drivers license check point Friday night netted at least one motorist who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he detoured away from the police cone line and onto Lorraine Avenue.

Keith Silva, 51, of Oakland drove his older Chevy S-10 pickup northbound on Lorraine, only to see the red lights of two Manteca police motorcycles in his rearview mirror.  He was given a roadside test to confirm his condition, police said.  Officers Mitch Ellis and John Machado were assigned to keep track of offenders who were choosing not to go through the DUI check lines that continued until 2 a.m. 

Officers began their checkpoint at 8 p.m. in the 900 block of Louise Avenue that had been scheduled on Union Road. It was changed because of an East Union High School home football game. Officers were equally cordial to the officers who questioned them on their drivers’ licenses and questioning about their choices of drinks from earlier in the evening.

The majority of the motorists cited were issued tickets for being without insurance or a drivers’ licenses.  One driver of a semi-rig tractor was pulled off into the center lane because he couldn’t produce his commercial license.  

Lynda Donelson was the only female office on the DUI line. It was Donelson who spotted the truck driver who was in need of his driver’s license Friday night. She serves as a reserve detective in the department.

High school aged student cadets — four of them — were seated along the traffic line keeping statistics on who was being stopped for the various violations and cited appropriately.

Motorcycle Sergeant Paul Crowley coordinated the checkpoint.