HARRISVILLE — Driving while high may lead an Alcona County man to be the first local resident charged with violating the stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on March 23 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“It was probably very clearly unessential travel to be driving around under the influence,” Alcona County Sheriff Scott Stephenson said on Thursday.

The man, who last week caused a two-car crash that landed him in the hospital, was driving under the influence of marijuana, police believe. Blood tests taken at the hospital have not been finalized, but a police report was submitted to the county prosecutor for review, asking for charges of operating while intoxicated as well as violation of the governor’s order.

Executive orders carry the force of law and can be punished with a $1,000 misdemeanor fine.

Firefighters, police, and an ambulance all responded to the crash, which not only tapped into all of the county’s public safety resources but also brought together responders, who, Stephenson said, ought to remain separate as much as possible to prevent the spread of any virus to which they may have been exposed in their high-risk lines of work.

Other area police agencies have received questions and complaints from residents concerned about businesses remaining open.

While phone calls to the Alpena Police Department have diminished since the initial rush in the first weeks after the closure of restaurants and other businesses, the department still receives daily calls from people wanting to know why one business is open and another is not, according to Lt. Eric Hamp.

All phone complaints are included in police logs, but, as of Tuesday, only seven of those received by APD had been written up in an official police report, Hamp said.

APD has submitted one case, involving a juvenile, to the Alpena County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski has said she would examine such cases on an individual basis to determine whether to press charges of violation of the governor’s orders.

In Presque Isle County, many callers to the Sheriff’s Office have expressed concern about people from out of the area moving into cottages, according to Sheriff Joe Brewbaker. In Alcona County, Stephenson said people have been calling looking for loopholes to allow them to run their businesses or travel north from downstate.

“We’re not giving them a permission slip to violate the orders,” Stephenson said.

Montmorency County Sheriff Chad Brown said many of the residents he’s talked to have been frustrated with the aspect of the governor’s orders that prevent them from using motorized boats. As weather warms and the outdoor recreation months approach, that restriction may be one residents find particularly hard to accept, Brown said.

“We all want to get back to the life we’re used to, sooner rather than later,” Hamp said. “Staying home will do nothing but help.”

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.