Every police officer's nightmare came real for Jim Thorpe patrolman Joseph David on the evening of Nov. 30 as he stood on Route 209, making sure drivers safely skirted a disabled car. As David directed traffic, he was hit by a car that broke his leg and caused other injuries.

The driver, 51-year-old Robert Monroe of Albrightsville, told police he had taken a powerful narcotic painkiller, Percocet, earlier in the day. Charges are pending the results of blood tests, police have said. David, who was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, is in considerable pain, but continues to recover, said Jim Thorpe Police Chief Joseph Schatz.Schatz spoke Thursday at the Carbon County Emergency Management building at a news conference to announce a holiday season crackdown on impaired drivers. The extra enforcement, which begins today and runs through Jan. 2, 2012, includes roving patrols and sobriety checkpoints, was announced with David's harrowing experience in mind.David R. Everly, Regional Sobriety Checkpoint Coordinator, North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program, was the keynote speaker."Police will be more vigilant in Carbon County this year due to the fact that one of their own officers being injured, so we'll be out in extra force," he said.Last year's Christmas-New Year's holidays saw eight driving-under-the-influence related crashes in Carbon County, Everly said.There were 641 alcohol related crashes, with 25 fatalities. across the state. Law enforcement officers hope beefed-up enforcement will cut those statistics down.One way they'll do that is through staggered roving patrols, "consisting of one or more departments conducting midweek and weekend roving patrols on staggered days and hours, starting at 5 p.m.," Everly said. "Various departments will work at different times and days so you will not know who or where the patrols are being conducted. The staggered patrols will be in addition to regular countywide roving patrols."Everly said police have been seeing more DUI-related crashes earlier in the day.He pointed out that impairment doesn't mean just imbibing too much holiday cheer."Be aware that even if you are on prescription medication, you could still be charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs," Everly said.Sobriety Checkpoints and Roving Patrols are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program covers Carbon, Schuylkill, Berks, Monroe, Pike, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Union, and Columbia counties.