During the 24-hour enforcement period from Thursday, June 15, to Friday, June 16, 2017, there were 3,277 speeding tickets issued by EPS officers and automated enforcement. Other Traffic Safety Act violations, including distracted driving, accounted for 604 of the total violations issued. There were also eight Criminal Code offences.
On Thursday, June 15, members with the EPS Commercial Vehicle Inspection Detail conducted a vehicle stop on a commercial hydro vac truck in the area of 215 Street and Yellowhead Trail. After directing the truck to a nearby government scale, police determined the truck exceeded both its maximum allowable weight and its axle weight by well over 10,000 kilograms. As a result, the driver was issued violations totalling more than $15,000.
In the early morning hours of Friday, June 16, members of the EPS Specialized Traffic Apprehension Team (STAT) also attempted a vehicle stop on a stolen Ford F150 truck in the area of 98 Street and 107 Avenue. The truck immediately sped away and collided with a fence a few streets away where the male driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Shortly thereafter, the Canine Unit responded and PSD Maverick began tracking, locating the suspect in a nearby vacant lot. The male driver, who had 21 outstanding criminal warrants, was subsequently arrested and charged for several offences, including criminal flight and dangerous driving.
The Edmonton Police Service and the City of Edmonton coordinate regular enforcement campaigns throughout the year (such as Operation 24 Hours) to improve traffic safety on Edmonton’s roadways.