LAYTON, Utah (ABC 4 News) - We all know getting distracted behind the wheel can be dangerous. But what happens when you do it in a school zone? This week ABC 4 is bringing the Speed Zapper to Layton on Gordon Ave. That's where ABC 4's Brian Carlson is taking action to stop speeders who aren't paying attention.
Police and parents who know Gordon Avenue in Layton tell ABC 4 there you're sure to see two things: a lot of cars, and a lot of kids.
“It just seems like it's an accident waiting to happen,” said Natalie Tholen, Layton resident.
Every day kids at E.G. King Elementary cross the street to get to class.
Two of them belong to Natalie Tholen. She said some drivers there not only speed, they don't pay attention.
“A couple weeks ago when we were walking through the crosswalk, a woman didn't stop and I just kind of put my hand up in the air like, ‘What?’ And she turned and flipped me off like it was my fault that I was in the crossing walk,” said Tholen.
Case and point was a mother driving compact car pulled over for speeding, who admits she was a bit distracted.
“Looks like your eating there?” asked Speed Zapper Reporter Brian Carlson.
“Just having our morning breakfast on the way to work and school,” she said.
“So you're doing that and driving?” Carlson asked.
“No!” she said.
Carlson and Layton police zapped her going 10 miles over speed limit just after the crossing guard turned off the lights, and walked the last few stragglers headed to class.
“Do you know how fast you were going?” Carlson asked the woman.
“I think he said 50?” she said.
“Yah, I can show you. That's 50 right there,” said Carlson.
“Yes,” she said.
When the school zone lights are on police said most drivers behave themselves, but when they're off the there are times when the speed goes way up.
“I think the highest one I remember seeing was around 70 miles an hour,” said Sgt. Andrew Joseph, Layton Police.
Police stopped a man in a truck that was going 12 over the limit. Sgt. Joseph wrote him a ticket for speeding in a school zone, and he refused to talk to ABC 4.
So to him, and other speeders where our message went undelivered, our worried mom says this:
“Slow down, take the time to slow down and look, so that we're all safe,” said Tholen.
If you need Brian to zap speeders in your neighborhood, tell him about it. Just go to the Speed Zapper section of abc4.com. Tell Brian about the problem. And he’ll zap ‘em.
