The Knox County Sheriff’s Department said it issued summonses to 11 juveniles and four minor adults alleging illegal possession of liquor and tobacco, after police broke up what they described as an underage drinking party Sunday afternoon at a gravel pit in Appleton.

Chief Deputy Timothy K. Carroll said that when deputies arrived at the gravel pit off Collinstown Road they encountered more than 50 people gathered around a bonfire.

Many of the partygoers fled into nearby woods, but police detained several people, issuing summonses to 10 juveniles charging illegal possession of liquor. One juvenile was summoned on a charge of illegal possession of tobacco.

Four adults, all minors, were also summoned on a charge of illegal possession of liquor. The legal drinking age in Maine is 21.

Carroll identified the minors as: 19-year-old Jade Snider of Union, 19-year-old Angela Hickman of Rockland, 18-year-old Alexis Stone of Rockland, and 19-year-old Matthew Stone of Washington.

Carroll said that of the 30 people who remained at the pit after police arrived, those who were of legal drinking age were allowed to leave once deputies identified the drivers who were sober.

Three vehicles were towed from the gravel pit after police were unable to identify their owners.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has obtained grant money to help combat underage drinking and drunken driving.

Police plan to conduct sobriety checkpoints throughout the county as summer winds down.

“Our ultimate goal is to check many and find nothing for violations to ensure the safety of our youth and our roadways,” Carroll said in a news release.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

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