Massive operation to stop dangerous driving happening in El Paso County
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- If it seemed like there was a larger law enforcement presence along I-25 in El Paso County on Wednesday, you're not wrong.
The Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff's Office, and Colorado State Patrol were stationed at different sections along the interstate looking for anyone driving dangerously. The goal was to prevent potentially deadly crashes from happening.
"This group effort ultimately came back from people letting us know what bothered them," says Trooper Josh Lewis with Colorado State Patrol.
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, El Paso County experienced the most fatal traffic crashes throughout the state in 2020. El Paso County also had the most deaths in car crashes, with 84 people killed in 2020.
Trooper Lewis says officers, deputies, and troopers were looking Wednesday for typical driving behaviors that lead to crashes; speeding, and bad lane changes. However, they were also looking for one of the biggest complaints they get from drivers in Colorado.
"The left lane law," Trooper Lewis says. "Being in that left lane when you are not actively passing and basically shouldn't be at that time." In 2019, CSP troopers made about 4,000 contacts just for left lane violations.
CSPD is expected to release numbers Thursday on how many people were ticketed during this operation.
