Target 11 Investigates Top Speed Traps County by County

None — Pennsylvania State Troopers say aggressive enforcement efforts on some roads are saving lives.

In May, Target 11 first told you about the top speed traps in Allegheny County and your response to our Target 11 Investigation was overwhelming. So Channel 11 dug deeper into the data and came up with more of the top speed traps in Western Pa.

During the investigation, Target 11 also discovered something else, some of the top speed traps are on roads where police and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials said they have had an extraordinary high number of accidents.

One of those areas is Route 51 in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County. In 2002, 20-year old Jason Drake was waiting to make a left hand turn onto Darr Road when his car was rear-ended by a construction van. Drake died in the crash. Investigators said the van was speeding.

"You read something in the newspaper and you watch something on TV. And obviously it impacts you, but you never think it's going to happen to you," said Jeff Umbel, Drake's grandfather.

Police said that wasn't the first accident to happen on that area of road, but it prompted an unprecedented crackdown on speeding by three police departments. Rostraver police, Perryopolis police and the State Police combined resources to target speeders in the area.

"Basically when people were coming through that corridor there was somebody doing enforcement, somewhere, but never the same place, said PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik.

Eight years after that tragic accident that claimed the life of Drake, police continue to aggressively target speeders on that stretch of road.

According to data obtained by Target 11, route 51 in Rostraver was the top speed trap in Westmoreland County. Police handed out 546 tickets in the area.

Rostraver Police Lt. John Christner said the crackdown has saved lives. "Absolutely, without question," said Christner, who runs speed checks along the corridor.

Police and PennDOT said the statistics prove that the efforts are working. Since the crackdown began more than six years ago, investigators said there have been no fatal accidents along Route 51 in Rostraver. Between 1997 and 2004, there were 10 fatalities.

"I think the Rostraver Township supervisors made a great effort to try and make that stretch of road safe by slowing people down. Of course, usually the only way you get people's attention is to get in their pocketbook, said Umbel.

Here are the other top speed traps in our area broken down county by county.

Westmoreland County: Pennsylvania Turnpike, Donegal: 506 tickets Route 22, Salem Township: 307 tickets Route 30, North Huntingdon Township: 298 tickets Route 66, Delmont: 271 tickets

Beaver County: Route 18, Monaca: 227 tickets Freedom Crider Road, New Sewickley Township: 224 tickets

Butler County: Leslie Road, Valencia: 156 tickets

Armstrong County: Patterson Hill Road, Kiski Township: 134 tickets

Washington County: Washington Road, Peters Township: 102 tickets

Previous Stories: May 11, 2010: Target 11 Reveals Top Pittsburgh Speed Traps

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