Virginia’s Notorious Highway 58 Speed Trap

‘Shameful’ Police Actions Caught On Tape

Lacrosse, Virginia

I was pulled over in South Hill & Lacrosse, Virginia, Highway 58, on January 15th, at about 10:30 PM.

The facts from my video recording posted here on this site, and my actual actions leading up to and continuing through the traffic stop are as follows:

I passed through Lacrosse & South Hill Virginia’s ‘restaurant row’, just off I-85, heading East on the notorious highway 58 speed trap stretch .

Everyone we know who travels this stretch of road knows the cruisers are always out in force, and I never take a chance and always use my cruise control.

(I know, that’s what every body says, but stay with me)

I passed a ‘stopped-at-the-traffic-light’ police cruiser to my left, and I was traveling about 44 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone, and  then put my cruise control speed to 50 mph just as I saw the posted speed sign that said 50 mph, which is just at the edge of restaurant row.

I was through the next light, and cruise control was engaged at 50 mph, when the police cruiser made a left, about 1/2 mile back, and pulled into my rear view mirror view.

I had literally just hung the cell phone call up with my wife discussing getting on highway 58, and how I always used cruise control on that stretch to avoid getting tagged for speeding.

I have not had a single speeding ticket, or any moving violation for that matter, since about 1992 or 1993, by the way.

Even back then I think it was 8 over, or something like that, but it’s been so long I forget.

Back to my sad tale this January 15th, 2010 evening.

The officer was gaining ground on me continually, meaning HE was speeding, (based on my cruise being set to the posted speed limit of 50 mph, and the pure nature of physics and geometry, for those relying on what they teach us in school and say we will use one day).

I gave the cruiser no mind at all, since my speed was set, and I was within all parts of the roadway laws I was traveling.

The South Hill or Lacrosse Virginia police cruiser continued to gain ground on me from behind, and at this point I’m heading up a slight hill, and it’s been probably less than a mile since I first saw the cruiser at the light, and then blue lights come on behind me!

My immediate thought was, he was getting someone coming from the opposite direction, because my cruise was set, so I initially waited for him to pass me to the left, in order to make the left hand turn to go after whatever speeding offender he had tagged with his radar.

Or so I thought.

The cruiser pulled closer to my back end, and I realized he was tagging me.

Since my cruise was set to the posted speed limit, my next thought was maybe he was tagging me for doing the 4 miles over 40 mph coming off the exit ramp when I first passed him at the light he was waiting on to change.

My third immediate thought was the police cruiser would use that 4 miles over the posted limit of 40 mph to pull me over just for good measure, and then have an excuse to check me for drunk driving or whatever else police might check for on a Friday night, after 10:00 pm.

Although I think that’s goofy too, I figured just relax, and play along.

I pull over to the right hand roadside, turn my dome light on out of respect to the officers’ sure concern over ‘who I could be or what I could be capable of’ mindset that I’m sure has to permeate their thoughts in situations like this, and wait about 3-4  minutes before he gets out of his car and walks to my drivers side.

I am absolutely confident that this will be a ‘smell test’ stop, (you know, does he smell alcohol or drugs on me or from in my car; after all, I have watched Cops).

His first words to me, while he shines his trusty flashlight in my face, take me aback beyond belief.

He states: “Is there a reason why you are doing 64 in a 50 mph zone?”

I immediately state my cruise control was set to 50, and he must have got that high reading from a car coming the opposite direction, because my car was set to the posted speed.

I tell him I saw him at the light back there, and I saw him pull out behind me, and my cruise was set.

He takes my license and registration, and I still assume he is just jacking me around in order to check me out on this late Friday night.

When he came back to my car window with the ticket, and then had the balls to tell me he had ‘paced me doing 64 mph’, rather than had a radar or laser reading, I was so stunned and amazed at the BS I pulled my flip camera out to record the exchange in video format from that point forward.

I will let the camera and subsequent video speak for itself, and you can also reference the google map and do your own math on the angles, physics, and geometry.

How many innocent travelers just like me have faced the same ‘pacing’ B.S., in this dark stretch of highway 58, right in South Hill, Virginia?

How many had to choose to make it their word against a police officers word, which I am sure is a no win proposition in their quaint little courtroom, where most folks probably just send the  money in rather than fight back, especially if the accused are traveling through town heading somewhere distant, and have to make a whole day trip (or more) back to court just to HOPE to put their word against a police officers’?

Thanks God I had a camera handy, and thank God the officer tagged me with his radar or laser gun after claiming to have ‘paced’ me, which ended up proving my point about my speedometer, (although I ‘m not sure his Chief will appreciate the implications of this footage, which I will send him).

But, you know, not one person from the judge of this town on down should disregard this footage, and there needs to be an investigation into this ‘pacing’ claim toward drivers.

What a revenue generating concept, and a travesty of justice all rolled into one.

Is there a set distance for the pacing to become ‘valid’, or is it just a brilliant way to really just whittle the law down to where it’s your word against a police officers’ word, and in their court no less, with their judges, and their lawyers?

My choices, (and the choices of the countless innocent drivers who have been ‘paced’ on this notorious stretch of speed-trap road in south Hill Virginia, on highway 58),  as I see them are: NONE of these are a win for me or any other innocent driver in ANY fashion, but rather wasted time and money in order to PROVE my / their innocence.

1. Hire an attorney, at $200-$300 an hour, with probably a 3-5 hour minimum, including court time.

2. Take more time out of my personal, already wasted time in this whole adventure just to come back to court to fight this travesty.

3. Take an online, driving-improvement class, probably sponsored by a local ‘in-on-it’ friend of the city, costing me more time and money.

3. Just pay the fine, (which is a farce beyond belief), and then take a higher insurance premium hit, too.

But folks, I just don’t like bullies, setups, speed traps or government-gone-crazy on its citizens lifestyles.

And I SURELY don’t like a ‘pacing-thus-speeding-although-I-was-speeding-to-catch-up-to-you-and-was-never-at-a-stable-speed-myself-cop-mentality’ assault on every fiber of my intelligence.

So, that is the reason for this video evidence.

Wish me well, and share your stories right here on the comments section!

Scott Colley

http://www.CrushPageOne.com

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