Speeding Sting by CHP Nabs 50

By Christi Anne Corpus
Signal Staff Writer
Friday March 2, 2007

California Highway Patrol officers cited 50 motorists for speeding on a busy rural roadway in Saugus during a four-hour sting Thursday morning.

After a local resident complained about drivers speeding in the area, a team of eight CHP officers set up on San Francisquito Canyon Road to find and penalize drivers speeding down the winding road between 6 and 10 a.m.

"As a result of a citizen's complaint of reckless driving along San Francisquito Canyon Road, we set up a (Special Enforcement Unit) at that location," said John Lutz, spokesman for the CHP Newhall area station.

The operation resulted in the officers writing up 50 traffic tickets along the road for high speeds of up to 96 mph.

Many morning commuters travel San Francisquito Canyon Road, which serves as a link between the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

"A type of operation like this is a special enforcement detail. There are several things that drive when and where we do these," Lutz explained. "Some are citizens' complaints or the accident picture, meaning there is often a high number of accidents in a particular location."

Many Palmdale and Lancaster residents drive along the road as an alternative to the often congested Highway 14. The sometimes narrow and winding roadway provides a potential site for collisions should drivers speed along its curves, Lutz said.

"We will be out again very soon because of the success of this unit," Lutz said, adding that such units will likely be conducted on other canyon roads in addition to San Francisquito Canyon Road.

Last year San Francisquito Canyon Road reopened following months of construction after a season of heavy rains washed away portions of the road and brought the threat of landslides.
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