Sheriff's office nabs crosswalk violators

Sisters is supposed to be a pedestrian-friendly town, but all too often drivers blow through crosswalks, ignoring the foot traffic.

Sheriff's deputies clamped down on such violators on Friday, May 16, in a safety operation at the corner of Locust Street and Cascade Avenue (Highway 20).

Deputy Juli McConkey, clad in plain clothes and looking like a young shopper, strolled repeatedly across the highway in the crosswalk as traffic approached.

For the most part, drivers were pretty good about stopping when they saw her on the sidewalk preparing to cross.

"(There was) good compliance this year," Technician Mike Sundberg said. "Everybody's educated."

In fact, the deputies issued only nine citations, compared to 42 in LaPine and 32 in Terrebonne earlier in the week. Twenty-two drivers received warnings.

A deputy stationed at the corner by the Sisters Pumphouse radioed reports of violators ahead to three patrol cars stationed further along the highway, both eastbound and westbound.

According to Deputy Kevin Williams, traffic stops were yielding drivers with suspended licenses, uninsured drivers and drivers who weren't wearing seatbelts.

There were few actual crosswalk violations on Friday morning.

However, when Deputy McConkey was out of the crosswalk, drivers treated the intersection like open highway, blasting through at speeds of 40 miles per hour.

Deputy Williams reported those drivers, who were stopped down the road and either warned or written up.

Sisters resident Bonnie Malone stopped by to thank the deputies and technicians, noting that two schools and the SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) facility are nearby, making the intersection a risky one for kids to cross.

According to the law enforcement officers on hand, most local folks have that kind of positive reaction to these periodic operations.

"Most people are very supportive," Deputy Williams said.

"It's their community and they want to keep it safe," he said.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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