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FHP Ride Along: Drivers Cited For School Zone Violations, Speed In North Escambia
August 31, 2023
An elementary school teacher will be going before a judge to explain her speed in a Highway 97 school zone.
Her Acura MDX was clocked by laser at 53 mph northbound in Walnut Hill when she passed a flashing school zone sign for Ernest Ward Middle School. At 53 mph in a 20 mph school zone, it’s a mandatory court appearance.
NorthEcambia.com was along for the ride Wednesday afternoon with Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zach Cupples for traffic enforcement.
In the EWMS school zone, it did not take long to stop violators.
We were parked in a driveway near the Walnut Hill Fire Station, the black and tan FHP Dodge Charger clearly visible to oncoming southbound traffic. The flashing school zone sign almost directly across the highway. The driver of a F150 belonging to an Atmore business was clocked at 40 mph, 20 mph over. If convicted, the driver is facing a $456 ticket.
Another driver, with a child in their Honda Pilot ,was stopped at 23 mph over in the school zone. That’s also a $456 ticket.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Florida takes school zones seriously, Cupples said. When FHP scheduled the NorthEscambia.com ride along, the original plan was to work the school zone and follow a few school buses in light of a photo we published last week that showed a chemical tanker truck passing a school bus that was stopping for students to board on Highway 97. The trooper was so busy writing school zone violations Wednesday afternoon that we missed the bus, literally.
So we set out for a few other locations that our readers have complained about across the area.
We took Highway 99 North to Highway 164. With some portions only about eight-feet wide, Highway 164 has been the site of several crashes attributed to the road width. There were few vehicles on the road that time of the afternoon and no traffic stops.
Cupples ran LIDAR — essentially like radar but using a distance sight and a precise laser beam — on Highway 29 in the general area of Hecker Road in the heart of Century.
A Pontiac GT was ticketed for 50 in a 35 mph one. A Dodge Charger was stopped for 53 mph in a 35 and ticketed for no proof of insurance. A BMW X7 driver was pulled over for 56 mph in the 35 zone.
While southbound on Highway 29 at 35 mph in Century, the driver of a GMC Sierra pickup truck quickly changed lanes dangerously close to the marked FHP unit and sped up to about 45 mph. As we followed directly behind, he reached speeds up to 51 mph the 35 zone before the blue lights came on. The driver was also cited for no proof of insurance; the most recent insurance card he could provide was from 2020.
We also made several passes through a Highway 29 construction zone in Century where four lanes are shifted into two. We also sat stationary and clocked vehicle speeds. Vehicle after vehicle passed with none exceeding the speed limit by more than a couple of mph.
All drivers in this story are innocent until their admission of guilt or conviction.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
20 Responses to “FHP Ride Along: Drivers Cited For School Zone Violations, Speed In North Escambia”
The penalties are not strong enough. $456? More like $1,456 for these violations.
Traffic ticket fines need to be generated on a formula based on number of moving traffic citations (past 10 years), vehicle value, number of passengers in vehicle (especially minors), and construction/school zone occurrence. Program the violations into the computer, it instantly calculates the fine.
The added revenue could put more FHP on the road patrolling for these irresponsible drivers.
Now how about some traffic stops on the rest of Raceway 97? The reason it is dangerous for officers to pull violators over is because of other violators. Uh, so we just stop pulling them over altogether? Or do we get proactive? Randomly send lots of officers out in force. Five or six, spaced out would really annoy the violators, and catch dozens of them, I’d bet.
to the young man on the motorcycle passing between cars at speed on 29 just south of Kingsfield Rd . I hope you live long enough to realize how incredibly stupid that is.
My theory is the leading cause of accidents typically involves drivers and residents from that other state and there needs to be some parity in driver education and evaluation. The intersection headed to Tom Thumb can be a death sentence (for a chicken cup) because no one coming from the Atmore side ever pauses at that light when turning right.
need to check longleaf @pine forest high
It would help if the limbs blocking light north bound were cut so you can see the light. I drive this a lot have to look in the limbs to see if it is on.
I was driving past Ernest Ward yesterday at the time the children were being discharged. I couldn’t believe how many people sailed through the school zone.
Do this more! And add busy school bus routes to catch drivers who run a school bus stop sign.
Trooper Cupples if you’re ever on Mobile Highway around Beulah Elementary when the lights are flashing you’ll need an additional ticket book as honking and flashing headlights doesn’t influence drivers to slow down at all. It’s a tragedy waiting to happen.
thanks to all of our GOOD LEO’s out there for doing what they can to make life(and driving) safe for us all. Sadly there’s not enough of them out there to keep things on an even keel, and the ones who ARE out there aren’t appreciated enough. Thanks for doing this William, great job man!
that must have been so satisfying for the officer to write those tickets. I woulda went home with a smile on my face.
So glad they are cracking down on these speeders. Wish they could patrol Hwy 99 just north of Molino Road. I see log trucks, cars, trucks, garbage trucks, and yes School buses going way over the limit. The speed limit on Hwy 99 is 55 and these people are going 65 or more. In front of our house people are passing those who are going the speed limit.
Hwy 97 is known as Death Highway in Northern Escambia County. When we go mentoring up at Northview we take the back route HWY 99 through Bay Springs then connect with Hwy97 pass Steve’s Farm…it’s sure is a telling story when the police don’t pull speeders over because of their safety.
Great job FHP. Speeding in Escambia Co. Has got way out of control. Not to mention two pedestrians, killed (No one cares about following the Law) Jaywalkers everywhere, 20/30 miles over the speed limit everywhere. Traffic on I-10 running 80 (speed limit 70) or Pine Forest rd this week, was running 60 (Speed limi 45) and motorcycles passed everyone like they were standing still. I estimate one was doing 100 MPH. while one stopped at the red light @ 9 mile rd a couple of cars back them slipped between the cars and then ran the light. My daughter videoed it but no tag,
Thank you law enforcement.
Smooth move, William and FHP.
FHP, though, is not the only agency that can work traffic and write citations in low-speed zones.
Maybe the Sheriff can help out; they don’t have to break away to work the tons of wrecks in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Just a thought.
Thanks William! That story your published helped get FHP out here on 97. I only wish they would routinely patrol the road.
A few months ago, an officer told my wife that 97 wasn’t safe for them to pull over drivers on, so they wouldn’t do it. I get the need for safety, but something has to be done.
How about charging double for texting in the school zone?
GREAT JOB FHP. This speeding has gotten way out of hand and add cell phone usage the distractions of said drivers has gotten way out of hand. I wonder if they ever identified the Tanker truck and/or driver. That was pure careless on the drivers part. Keep up the good work and PEOPLE, slow down and put those phones down.
SPEED:
Top cause of many accidents,yet people still speed thru our precious kids school zone. Over 5mph should forfiet their driving license for 90days to a year on their speed conviction.
Next ride along come to the 4200-6000 Schaag rd on Fridays from 4-6:30PM. A DAYTONA RACEWAY!