News

March 11, 2008
Operation Air, Land & Speed Yields Record Totals on Interstates 81 and 95
16 DUI Arrests – 91 Drug/Felony Arrests – 0 Traffic Fatalities

RICHMOND – The latest traffic safety effort by Virginia State Police on Interstates 81 and 95 yielded 8,844 summonses and arrests. The record totals exceed previous two-day Operation Air, Land & Speed campaigns on the two north-south interstate corridors. There were also, once again, no reported fatalities on either interstate during the course of the operation, which took place Sunday, March 9, and Monday, March 10, 2008.

From the Tennessee border to West Virginia, 3,746 violations were cited by Virginia State Police on I-81. The enhanced enforcement stopped 2,282 speeders on I-81 and cited 223 reckless drivers. Seven drunk drivers were arrested and 17 drug/felony arrests were made by state police. In addition, 142 safety belt violations were cited.

From the North Carolina border to Maryland, state police cited 5,098 violations on I-95. State police cited 2,223 drivers for speeding and issued summonses to 712 individuals for reckless driving. Nine drunk drivers were arrested and 74 drug/felony arrests were made. State police also cited 239 safety belt violations on I-95.

On Sunday during the operation, Virginia State Police Sgt. J.D. Tudor stopped a speeding vehicle on I-95 in Caroline County. The traffic stop resulted in the arrest of two North Carolina juveniles and the recovery of a stolen vehicle, stolen handgun, six stolen credit cards and six stolen cell phones.

“Operation Air, Land & Speed is primarily about saving lives, preventing crashes and changing driving behaviors for the better,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “However, these initiatives also demonstrate how effective aggressive traffic enforcement can be when it comes to solving other crimes.”

Since 2006 this has been the eleventh Operation Air, Land & Speed to be conducted on Virginia interstates and brings total summonses and arrests to 60,007. In May, the twelfth operation will concentrate on Northern Virginia’s interstate system.

<strong><font color="#9E2911">St. Patrick’s Day – No Luck for Drunk Drivers</font></strong>
Virginia State Police are also participating in the Checkpoint Strikeforce’s annual St. Patrick’s Day enforcement effort that began Monday, March 10, and continues through St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. The weeklong, multi-state, zero-tolerance initiative is designed to get impaired drivers off Virginia’s roads through the use of law enforcement sobriety checkpoints and patrols when and where drunk driving is most likely to occur. The anti-DUI program also works to educate the public about the dangers and consequences of impaired driving.

For more information on Checkpoint Strikeforce and its St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide ® Campaign in Northern Virginia, click on http://www.checkpointstrikeforce.net.

“There is nothing wrong with having a good time celebrating a holiday,” said Colonel Flaherty. “Just make sure you are doing it responsibly and not at the expense of your life or someone else’s life. Drive drug and alcohol free, always buckle up, avoid distractions, share the road and obey speed limits.”