EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — El Paso County is leading the state, but not in a good way. According to local law enforcement, the county is leading the state in traffic fatalities with 60 lives lost in traffic crashes.
As such, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado State Patrol recently conducted a joint traffic safety operation on I-25 throughout El Paso County. The operation took place from the El Paso/Pueblo County line to the El Paso/Douglas County line on Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The goal of the operation was to reduce dangerous driving behavior and reinforce the importance of voluntary compliance with traffic laws. 31 law enforcement officers participated in the operation.
During the operation, Deputies, Officers and Troopers:
Contacted over 250 motorists;Issued 223 citations for violations including speeding, running a red light, impaired driving, and other dangerous behaviors;Arrested 6 DUI drivers and removed them from our community’s roadways;Arrested 3 individuals for felony offenses.
According to CSPD, speeding continues to be an issue in El Paso County. Several drivers were cited for going 90+ miles an hour on I-25. Triple digit speeds in the middle of the day were not unheard of, with one driver being cited for going 123 miles per hour.
In a press release, CSPD said law enforcement regularly encounters drivers traveling in excess of the posted 65 mph limit in the City of Colorado Springs, and the drivers cited in the safety deployment were going well above that limit.
Commander John Koch of the Colorado Springs Police Department said, “The Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office proudly work together each day to ensure the safety of the people we serve. Today’s operation – designed to reduce driving behavior that all too often leads to serious injury, death, and tragedy for so many families in the Pikes Peak Region – is one example of that work. All of us are committed to keeping our roadways safe – a goal that starts with each of you when you get behind the wheel.”
El Paso County law enforcement agencies are asking for the public’s help to keep drivers safe on the road. Drivers are asked to slow down, put the phone down, and buckle up for safety.
