Twin Falls County Deputies Cracking Down on Holiday Speeding

The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office urges caution on the roads.  Numerous people have been stopped, many of them on their way to Thanksgiving reunions, while attempting to break all land speed records.  This on some very slippery roads.  On Tuesday morning an accident on the Perrine Bridge closed northbound traffic during rush hour.  The bridge was very slick at the time.  There are patches of ice in all parts of Southern Idaho. 

Even with a pandemic raging, an estimated 50 million Americans are projected to travel 25 miles or more for the holiday.  For many, COVID-19 isn’t nearly as much a threat as a highway crash.  An estimated 35-thousand to 40-thousand Americans will die on roads this year.  A far larger number will survive but many will be left with terrible injuries.

One of the worst stretches (and this is no surprise) is along Route 93 between Hollister and the Nevada state line.  I’ve witnessed drivers along the same stretch of road traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour.  A waitress at a restaurant told me it’s a common sight for people who work along the road and many have seen some horrific accidents.

A speeding ticket isn’t really the way to start off a festive long holiday weekend.

SGT Ken Mencl explains he passed out 7 tickets in a matter of four hours and two other deputies were just as busy, if not more so, during the same time period.

The Sheriff’s Office pledges to pay especially close attention to county roads through the weekend.  One woman who was driving at breakneck speed had three young grandchildren in her car.