On Thursday, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Traffic Office conducted a speed enforcement operation in the city of Santa Clarita.
All five of the force’s motor deputies and a traffic patrol car were working the operation, with the additional assistance of three motor deputies that came from other patrol stations.
When they held their afternoon briefing prior to deploying in the field, they had no idea that shortly after embarking on their mission, there would be fires, rain, and then more fires.
As a result, during their operation, six of the motor deputies were pulled away for four hours from the field to assist with traffic control at the site of the fires.
Despite the diversion, the deputies were still able to cite 53 motorists during the operation.
Thirty-three motorists were cited for unsafe speed, 16 for using a cellphone (texting while driving or talking with cell phone in hand); two unsafe turn violations, one vehicle equipment violation, and one citation was issued to a motorist who was following an emergency vehicle too closely.
The emergency vehicle was a fire engine that had it’s lights and sirens on, and was responding to one of our local fires. California Vehicle Code 21706 CVC states that, “No motor vehicle, except an authorized emergency vehicle, shall follow within 300 feet of any authorized emergency vehicle….”
