Police: Safety is goal on highways this weekend
Pennsylvania State Trooper Teko Angelicchio points out the spotlight on a helicopter and other gear to captain’s secretaries Chris Lemmon of Daisytown and Janet Polosky of Strabane on Thursday. West Virginia and Pennsylvania State Police and Ohio State Highway Patrol officers came together for an Operation CARE event.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Douglas Bartoe speaks Thursday during the Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort event at the West Virginia Visitors Center on Interstate 70 west. Bartoe encouraged motorists to put away cellphones and stay focused on the road.
A helicopter lands at the West Virginia Welcome Center on Interstate 70 west for the Operation CARE event. Law Enforcement from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio came together to encourage motorists to drive safely over the holiday weekend.
Making sure travelers who will be taking to the road during the Memorial Day weekend arrive safely at their destinations is the focus of state police from Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well as the Ohio highway patrol during the three-state safety enforcement effort.
State police, the Washington County sheriff and law enforcement officials from West Virginia and Ohio met Thursday at the West Virginia Welcome Center on Interstate 70 to kick off Operation CARE, a national program to make sure drivers obey the law and arrive safely at their destination. The holiday travel period started Thursday and continues through Monday.
“This is a tri-state effort,” said J.J. Miller, AAA East Central safety adviser. “They are all here for a good purpose and that is to save lives.”
Police want to get the message out to slow down and drive safely, said Lt. Douglas Bartoe, patrol section commander for Trooper B in Washington.
“As the summer driving season starts, we see traffic increase as well as increases in speeding and alcohol consumption,” Bartoe said. “We will be doing increased enforcement, including DUI checkpoints as well as roving DUI patrols. And we are still doing seat belt enforcement as part of Click It or Ticket.”
“Our goal is reduce crashes so no one loses their life and reduce injuries and property damage,” he added. “Wear your seat belt. In a crash, it is the difference from going to the hospital or just getting treated for bumps and bruises.”
Capt. Dennis Johnson of the West Virginia state police said millions of miles will be logged this summer by travelers.
“The goal is to make the roads safer, not write tickets,” Johnson said. “Drivers will see increased law enforcement this weekend.”
Johnson referred to law enforcement as a “necessary evil” on the roads.
“What if we weren’t there, what would it be like?” he pondered. “The highways would be like the Autobahn.”
Miller urged drivers to be patient. She said AAA expects more than 38 million Americans will travel this weekend, with most getting to their destination by vehicle. This weekend will see the second-highest travel volume on record and be the most since 2005 because of the lower cost of gasoline, Miller added.
“Make safety your first priority, whether you are traveling across town or across the state,” Miller said. “Every family has the right to reach their destinations safely.”