Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies and Columbus police officers are in the midst of Operation Pullover patrols, a targeted traffic enforcement mobilization looking for motorists who are speeding, running red lights, distracted driving and other infractions. And officers are finding some success.
On Thursday, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Dave Steinkoenig pulled over 24 vehicles in one shift on County Road 325W, which is a common back-way being used by many west-side residents to get to the National Road area via Lowell Road.
Steinkoenig, in an unmarked vehicle, was stopping another vehicle quickly after finishing each traffic stop around the lunch hour, at times turning his car around after determining an oncoming car was way over the posted 50 mph speed limit.
The majority of Steinkoenig’s stops were for speeding violations, said Chief Deputy Maj. Chris Lane, adding that he doubted that the captain gave too many speeding tickets. “He probably gave warnings,” Lane said.
County Road 325W, which is a straight, narrow county road until it gets into some curves as it gets near the Driftwood River, is a common place that people tend to ignore the 45 mph speed limit, until they get to the curves, Lane said.
“From (State Road) 46 to Georgetown (Road), it’s a pretty straight stretch for the heavy foots,” Lane said. “It’s a narrow road and if you can get off the side of the road there — there is no wide shoulder,” he said.
In an earlier Operation Pullover this year that lasted for 24 days, the sheriff’s department and CPD issued 338 traffic citations and made 17 arrests for impaired and aggressive driving enforcement, according to the sheriff’s department.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
