WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - ABC 4 is taking action to crack down on speeders in school zones. Brian Carlson is taking the Speed Zapper to West Valley where drivers are putting children in danger, including one man who went to jail after our report.
Crossing guard Irene Hatch said she's concerned about kids who cross her street.
“It worries me sick,” said Hatch.
Hatch tells ABC 4 many drivers on 4100 South in West Valley don't slow down when the school zone lights come on.
“The drivers don't take into consideration the fact that these kids are totally helpless,” she said.
So we grabbed the Speed Zapper, and teamed up with not one, not two, but five traffic cops from West Valley City Police Dept.
We stopped speeders totally oblivious to kids, and the school zone.
“How fast did they pull you over at?” Reporter Brian Carlson asked a driver.
“I was about 20 over,” said the driver.
“20 over the limit?” Carlson asked.
“Yah,” he said.
“He said I was doing 40 through a school zone, and I'm disgusted with myself,” said another driver.
In less than one hour, we stopped 20 drivers and wrote nine tickets. Not only did we zap one driver going 10 over the limit, but police found he was driving on a suspended license, and there was a warrant out for his arrest, so police booked him.
Our first driver, who tells us he was on his way to speak at an elementary school, said he deserved to get a ticket.
“Is this the first time you've been pulled over?” Carlson asked.
“Ha ha, not me. I've been pulled over plenty of times,” he said. “People like me need to be slowed down a lot.”
Others like our disgusted driver say this never happens.
“It's the first time you've ever been pulled over in a school zone?” asked Carlson.
“Absolutely! Heaven's I've been driving for 50 years,” she said.
Regardless if was their first time or not our crossing guard hopes all them will get the message.
“Please slow down,” Hatch said.
