VSP says nearly 100 drivers cited for speeding during safety initiative along Route 58

DANVILLE, Va. ( WFXR ) — Virginia State Police says nearly 100 drivers were cited for speeding during the “Southern Virginia US58 Safety Initiative.”

On May 13, state troopers and several local law enforcement agencies including Pittsylvania County and Halifax County Sheriff’s Offices kicked off the initiative to reduce deadly crashes and increase safety on U.S. Route 58. For four days, crews increased patrols along Route 58 and covered 116 miles of Virginia’s southern corridor from Emporia to Danville.

“Anecdotally, we’ve seen increased traffic on Route 58, as people use it as an alternative to get across the Commonwealth,” said 1/Sergeant S.C. Leslie, Virginia State Police Area 22 Commander.

VSP says during the safety initiative, 12 people were cited for seatbelt violations and one person was cited for a child restraint violation. In addition, one person was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated.

Sgt. Leslie says in 2022, over 13,000 drivers, passengers, and pedestrians were injured in crashes on highways in Virginia for speeding.

“There were 441 individuals killed in speed-related crashes in Virginia in 2022, with 81.9% of them occurring in traffic crashes on non-interstate highways.* More than 13,000 drivers, passengers, and pedestrians were injured in 2022 on Virginia’s highways due to speeding,” said Sgt. Leslie.

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