BALTIMORE (WJZ) — If you plan to party New Year’s Eve, beware.

As Derek Valcourt explains, law enforcement around Maryland will be on the lookout for drunk drivers.

In the celebrations after New Year’s 2008, Maryland Transportation Authority Police Cpl. Courtney Brooks was struck and killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver. His family was left devastated and now reminds others about the impact of drinking and driving.

“When you go and you go party, you need to think about the people you may injure, the families who may suffer because of it,” a family member said.

Over and over again tragedy strikes on New Year’s. That’s why local and state police are warning they will be aggressively looking for anyone drunk behind the wheel.

They’ll have extra hands on deck out on the roads after midnight. You can expect to see plenty of sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols.

“Maryland State Police are not saying we don’t want you to celebrate the new year. We are just asking you to take responsibility and make arrangements before the festivities begin,” said Maryland State Police spokesperson Sgt. Marc Black.

Maryland State Police report last year six people died in fatal accidents on New Year’s. Among them were two young adults killed in Bethesda after the driver lost control and slammed head-on into a tree hours after ringing in the new year.