This week the Central Region spent time helping out the Ohio State Police, Franklin County Sheriff, Columbus and Dublin Police Departments in a sting targeting unsafe driving around commercial vehicles. Franklin County has seen over 2,000 commercial vehicles collisions this year. The idea behind this task force was to show that the increase in truck crashes is not only due to the truck drivers but the commuters unsafe actions around the commercial vehicles.
To help in this operation the Central Region provided a truck, trailer, and two very talented drivers. We asked Travis Harris (Quaker Oats) and Jack Holloway (Family Dollar) to help us out on this event. Our drivers drove around the Columbus, OH area with Sergeant Kelly Weakly of the Ohio State Police riding in the passenger seat of our truck. Sergeant Weakly would observe traffic violations going on around our truck, then radio it to officers who are set up for pursuit. The pursuit vehicle would pull over the traffic violators and give them a citation. This action along with an airplane flying overhead pointing out other violators contributed to a successful operation.
On Tuesday the officer in our truck from 7:30 to 10:00 called out 7 violations to the pursuit officers that included unsafe lane changes, and tailgating. On Wednesday during the same time there was 9 violations called out to the pursuit team from our truck. Amazingly Wednesday the office in the airplane called out 3 different violators that was tailgating our vehicle. Friday being the 5th day of this sting operation only netted 1 violator seen by the officer in our truck. Friday's results tells us the law enforcement team's efforts had a powerful impact.
It was our honor to help in this endeavor yet we gain an incite that we may of not had before this event. In a total of seven and half hours there was twenty different dangerous and unsafe drivers around one of our trucks. Each work day our drivers spend up to 11 hours driving and face these problems day in and day out. It is amazing how many times our drivers end their day with out any paint missing on their trucks. This event brings to mind how much effort our drivers put into being safe on the roadways when others are not.
We would also like to thank Sergeant Weakly. On Wednesday he spent time with the orientation class in Columbus, OH talking to the class about the goal of the task force and what was accomplished. He also opened up his patrol vehicle and explain the equipment inside it along with demonstrations. Friday once the truck was in the area Sergeant Weakly took Jack Holloway to the Police Academy and gave him a tour and explain what is required of the new officers.
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