The Duson Police Department reports that two of its officers were nearly run over while patrolling on Thursday because of cars going interstate speed on surface roads.
Drivers sat on I-10 for hours today waiting on the scene of a fatal crash to clear. Drivers who had the chance took several back roads to avoid the traffic. That meant the Duson Police Department dealt with a lot of speeding through the city on Thursday.
Duson Police Chief Kip Judice said he feared for the safety of himself and his officers.
"Anytime you shut down a major interstate you have people who have a plan and we are having to deviate that travel plan. They are not familiar with the roads offside the interstate, so they are hesitant and not really wanting to go freely," Judice said.
Another problem the officers ran into was people exiting the interstate and still driving interstate speed. This, according to officers, ultimately leads to accidents and several speeding tickets.
Officers said they attempted to give out warnings to most people, but with the number of people on the road, some tickets just couldn’t be avoided.
"When you start using surface streets and they become an interstate so to speak, you have local residents who are not used to it. They will pull out their driveway and not realize a car is coming at a speed of 70 or 75 miles per hour. The officer themselves are placed in a danger too because we are not anticipating cars coming at that speed," Judice said.
Duson Police Officers tell KATC the best way to stay safe is to practice patience because you never know what could happen when you’re going 70 in a 55.
