CALIFORNIA, Md. – According to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department, on 10-27-2006 at 0703 hours, Deputy William Rishel and SDFC Michael D. Peacher responded to a motor vehicle collision at the dead end of Town Creek drive. They observed that a white Dodge truck had failed to stop at the end of the road and struck a St Mary's County Fence and sign. The truck continued through the fence and came to rest in the woods approximately 10 feet from the Patuxent River water's edge.
Deputy Rishel observed that the operator of the vehicle, Christopher Michael Fitzgerald, a 27 year old man from Great Mills, was passed out behind the steering wheel. Christopher Fitzgerald was removed from the vehicle. The officers noted that he had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath.
SDFC Peacher had Fitzgerald perform standardized field sobriety tests. Fitzgerald completed all of the tests poorly and was subsequently placed under arrest.
Fitzgerald was transported to the St Mary's County Detention Center and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Per Se, and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.
Fitzgerald was not injured from the collision.