Checkpoint Melody to be Set Up Friday

In memory of a Novato girl who was killed by a drunken driver three years ago, the  and other law enforcement agencies plan to conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint Friday, May 25.

As usual, no specific time or location will be announced because publicity of the spot would deflate the purpose of the checkpoint.

Melody Osheroff, a 9-year-old student at San Ramon Elementary School, was struck by a speeding motorcyclist on May 27, 2009, at the intersection of San Marin Drive and San Carlos Drive. She died the next day, and her memorial service was attended by hundreds.

Her father, Aaron Osheroff, also was hit by the motorcyclist, who blew through a stop sign one evening as the father and daughter crossed the street. Aaron Osheroff suffered major injuries to both legs and had one of them amputated. He has since returned to work as an information technology specialist at College of Marin's and remains in Novato.

Novato resident Edward Schaefer, who had at least eight other DUI convictions, was sentenced in July 2010 and was stabbed to death days after his arrival at San Quentin State Prison. The state of California subsequently passed a harsher law to get habitual drunken drivers off the roads and into rehabilitation.

Two suspected DUI arrests were made at .

Friday's checkpoint is funded through the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The officers will be equipped with state of the art hand-held breath testing devices that provide a measure of blood alcohol concentrations of suspected drunk drivers.  All drivers will be asked to produce a valid driver’s license as they pass through the checkpoint.

The goal is to reduce the number of victims killed and injured in alcohol-involved crashes, the department said.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail time, license suspension and insurance premium increases as well as fines, fees, required DUI classes other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

The state Office of Traffic Safety, California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement are advocating safe driving and designated sober drivers. Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.

If anyone suspects a drunk driver on the road, that person is urged to call 911 to help law enforcement identify drunk drivers before they injury themselves or others.