BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — It took a while to leave the canyon Friday night as a joint law enforcement task force had set up a roadblock to capture drunken drivers.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, Taylorsville police and the Utah Highway Patrol stopped all vehicles, checking the driver's license, insurance and seat belt compliance of every driver.
The cars of some drivers suspected of drinking or possessing drugs were searched.
Forty cars were detained for possible violations within the first 90 minutes of the roadblock.
The court-approved "Operation JJ" was named after JJ Tabish, 17, who was killed along with a friend in Big Cottonwood Canyon in 2002. The two had been drinking and the SUV they were in rolled after speeding down the canyon at an estimated 100 mph.
"We're here to educate and prevent," said Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard, who was at the roadblock.
The checkpoint, he said, had a dual purpose, also serving as a reminder for graduating high school seniors not to try to sneak up the canyons to drink. They will be caught, Kennard said.
"If we save one life, it's worth it," he said.
Despite announcing several weeks ago that checkpoints would be staged, officers still found people who tried to drink and drive down the dangerous canyon.
One man who was pulled over immediately raised red flags.
"His truck was filled with smoke, like he was trying to hide the smell of alcohol. His eyes were bloodshot," said Taylorsville police detective Casey Davies. "Once he stepped out of the car, I could smell the alcohol on his breath."
The man was given a series of field sobriety tests, which he failed badly. He was unable to walk nine steps in a straight line or hold one foot 6 inches off the ground for 30 seconds. He complained that the ground was uneven.
His blood-alcohol content tested out at .10, two-tenths over the legal limit. The man was placed into handcuffs right in front of a sign set up by JJ's mother, Norma, which showed a picture of JJ and the remains of the SUV, just yards away from a permanent "Adapt-a-Highway" sign that bears JJ's name at the top.
As the 31-year-old driver was led away in handcuffs, a drug-sniffing K9 went through the vacated vehicle and found a small plastic bag of marijuana.
The passenger in the vehicle had been drinking and could not drive. The vehicle was impounded.
Officers in plain clothes and unmarked cars parked off the road farther up the canyon from the roadblock. They watched for drivers trying to avoid the checkpoint by making U-turns or who tried to throw illegal items out of windows.
In one incident, an officer spotted a passenger pouring an open container of beer out the window before getting to the checkpoint. Law enforcers at the roadblock were alerted and were prepared to write a ticket for littering.
But upon further investigation, they found the man had a warrant out for his arrest on felony DUI. The man was placed into handcuffs and taken to the Salt Lake County Jail.
Most citations handed out Friday night, however, were for insurance or registration violations.
Norma Tabish said she was thrilled with the results of the roadblock and also honored that the checkpoint was named in memory of her son. She also hoped the event would send a strong message to others who may think a fun graduation night includes drinking in the canyon.
"I'd ask them to rethink their definition of fun. Burying JJ was not fun. Living day after day without him is not fun," she said.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com