Pennsylvania State Police said they are cracking down on speeding and aggressive truckers in the Washington, PA, area especially over the Memorial Day weekend holiday.
State police Lt. Douglas Bartoe, patrol section supervisor for Troop B in Washington, said troopers will be out in force looking for a wide range of violations involving truckers.
“We’ve been noticing a higher amount of truck traffic on Interstate 70 between the Eighty Four and West Chestnut Street exits,” Bartoe told the Oberserver-Reporter. “Some of these drivers are speeding and driving aggressively and recklessly.
“There are three construction zones in that stretch: at Eighty Four, the south junction with Interstate 79 and Jessop Place,” the lieutenant added. “And we have seen a rash of crashes in that area as well.”
Driving on I-70 from Bentleyville to Washington almost daily, Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone said he has been tailgated many times by aggressive truck drivers. “The traffic has really been bad, particularly between 8 and 10 a.m.,” Vittone said. “The trucks seem to be flying.”
Bartoe said state police will be combining two enforcement programs – aggressive driving and truck safety enforcement.
“If a trooper with radar sees an aggressive truck driver or one who is speeding, the driver will be asked to pull over in a safe space,” Bartoe said. “Our truck inspection team will then check the truck for any safety violations.”
“But it isn’t really about the citations,” he added. “It is about safety and having fewer crashes and less injuries.”
State police will also conduct extra patrols looking for drunken drivers over the holiday weekend. Additional speed enforcement will continue through the end of June. They are also participating in the “Click It or Ticket” Campaign, looking for unbuckled drivers.
