Moments ago one of the Scale Cops that pulls over people running the scales on Rt. 13 pulled out of their station and rode the shoulder of Rt. 13 trying to chase after someone running the scales.
A Jeep pulled out, (not seeing him) and the chase vehicle had to swerve and ultimately went air born off the side of Rt. 13 just North of the Saturn Dealership and struck a telephone pole.
We do not know if there are any injuries but it has been reported that "these Officers come flying out of there regularly chasing after guys with two lawn mowers on a trailer trying to make a living."
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26 comments:
Those scales should of been moved down into somerset county where there is more room years ago.
Those cops have been driving like that alot it had to happen sooner or later!!
Those guys pulling lawnmowers on a trailer trying to make a living, as you put it, are in violation of DOT requirements if they do not cross the scales when they are open. Those landscapers are the very reason anyone with a small work trailer now has to register with USDOT and file fuel taxes.
The police do not regularly come flying out of the weigh station however, they do on occasion have to chase someone down that is running the scales. If they were running illegal they'd take a different route so they didn't have to scale.
I hope the DOT officer is not injured. I also hope they fine those landscapers the maximum allowed by law.
I heard sirens, looked up in my rear view mirror, saw the jeep pull in front of the police truck, the truck swerved to avoid the jeep. The police truck was not speeding and the officer risked personal injury to avoid hitting a civilian car.
ummm, those "Scale Cops" are Marland State Troopers assigned to the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division!! Get it right!! I hope the trooper was not hurt badly and will be ok. Any updates on his condition would be nice.
I stopped after witnessing the accident, the trooper was in better shape than i was after witnessing this event. all people involved were okay, the truck and electrical pole were not so lucky! I do applaud this officer for risking himself to avoid hitting the jeep that came onto the shoulder. It was a horrific site to see happen in front of you but the trooper was not injured.
not all of those people pulling trailers are landscapers some are ppl outta work laid off and cutting grass to supplement thier income but god forbid mom and pop miss them scales I have seen the scale cops chase ppl all the way into delaware almost to iron hill rd. that black truck is always flying to catch ppl its unsafe many have saw this im sure
Ya-hooo - I'm a cowboy cop - git outa my way. I can do 95 on the by-pass while talkin on my cell phone and eatin donuts.
Laws are worthless unless they are enforced!
People who violate them should expect to be pursued and caught.
What makes it unsafe, if anything, are the IDIOTS who don't pay attention and swerve in front of an emergency vehicle or slam on their brakes when they see the lights!
Many of you need to re-take driver's education and curb your vehicle upon being approached by an emergency vehicle! Slamming on your brakes in the middle of the traffic lane or Not moving at all doesn't work! Wake UP!
Scale cops? Really? Do you people know anything about what their job really includes? Every single "scale cop" went through the 6 month Maryland State Police academy - no easy task. They are State Troopers, doing their jobs. He demonstrated his training and intelligence by forcing himself off the road in order to avoid hitting an innocent motorist. I doubt the "black truck" is ALWAYS flying to catch people. I drive by the scales many times weekly and have never seen a trooper leave to chase someone.
Have some respect.
You ppl piss and moan about the scale cops.Which is very disrespectful to our Maryland State Police Officers. These officers risk their lives on a daily basis and do their job as they were hired to do. I registered my trucks years ago before they started making anyone with a business gross combination weight of more than 12000 pounds register. Honestly I am glad these officers are there because they do keep our highways safer. If we didn't have these officer out there then we would have a bunch of crap on the road (more than we have now)that shouldn't be there.Go MSP keep up the good work!
Aye 1:52. Well said. I stop at the scales every time because that is the law.
Law is not bias toward "ma & pa" businesses, people who are laid off, or a seasoned CDL driver with more miles logged in reverse than us average drivers have in our lives. C'mon guys the Trooper was doing his job plain and simple. Glad to hear he is ok.
We live on a side road that the rascals drive on in order to avoid the scales...they go by here FLYING! The speed limit is 40, but clearly they don't worry about obeying laws, or they wouldn't be on our road to begin with.
the law reads that if you are over 10,000 pounds you fall into DOT regs. and have to stop. If you read the sign before the scale house it states that any vehicle over 5 tons (10,000lb) must stop at the scales. If you want to get go the the letter of the law anyone owning a newer f-350 must stop. or pop-pop hauling his boat to go fishing must stop. Also the 10,000 is what the vehicle is rated for not the acual weight. I am glad that CVD is out and about enforcing DOT reg.
9:48 pm Why is Maryland the only state with a 10,000 scale law? The rest of the states are commercial vehicles only. mmmm revenue $ could be the answer? why during Gov Glendening's administration. That "landscaper" could have been someone hauling his grasscutter to the John Deere dealer with a borrowed trailer.(that has happened)
Of course we piss and moan about the cops. State troopers in particular. They are modern day tax collectors and you all know it. The idea of standing in the middle of the highway with radar guns shooting people, ticketing 100's of people per day is outrageous. What about serve and protect. A person travelling 10 miles over speed limit has not exhibited any danger to anyone. They are filthy tax collectors.
Can you not read? It says COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. Those vehicles used in business, not someone pulling a boat down to the marina, unless it is a boat company pulling the boat. Lets tell it like it is. Since the influx of illegals in this area taking up the landscaping trade have forced this law to be enforced.
If mom and pop are laid off and trying to MAKE A BUCK cutting grass then they are in business. If they are in business they are using their equipment in a commercial manner and MUST FOLLOW DOT REGS. How hard is that to understand?
And Mom & Pop,Pedro,Joe,Bill etc... need to have commercial vehicle insurance,liability insurance,Pay FICA and all other Business Taxes This list could go on and on !!!!
Driving on the shoulder of the road. Sounds like a smart move to me. What about the one that killed a young lady on an icy bridge? I guess he was doing the right thing also. Here's what I don't get. They will make this one out to be a hero, but when one of their own kills someone he / she is slapped on the wrist.
"I don't know" but I report it anyway..good job joe. Way to get the FACTS
Scale houses are there for safety reasons. I don't know about any of you but I feel much safer knowing the rig behind me has good breaks and isn't overloaded which keeps it from ramming my family in the event of an emergency stop. I also feel safer, especially after recent events on the bay bridge, when there is a truck pulling a trailer beside me that he has his trailer securely attached to his truck. I don't want one of those nice zero radius turn mowers flying through my windshield! That particular scale house is in a horrible location because no one wants to let the trucks back into the flow of traffic after they have gone through the scales. Also it is unpredictable on it's operating times which sometimes means trucks move over to go through the scale but then see it is not open and it causes problems for the trucks to get back out into traffic when nonprofessional drivers try to prevent them from doing so.
My husband is a truck driver and he goes through that scale nearly every day. It is an inconvenience at times, but even though he gripes and moans about it some days, he knows there are a many of trucks out there that are not maintained or weighted properly.
Anon 7:18 I would go out on a limb here and say you are a cop hater in general. Zimmerman, the officer in which you refered to, did get ticketed for that accident on the bridge. I cannot say I know what he was thinking leading up to the accident but I can be almost certain he was not thinking someone was going to die. He was responding to an accident and had the misfortune, like many others that day, of being involved in an accident due to icy road ways. Should he have been going slower? Sure. Just as the many others that were involved in accidents should have. Dorchester and Wicomico counties should have been salting and treating that bridge and 50 leading up to it long before the accidents began to happen up there. Are the counties being sued for negligence in these accidents? Nope, even though all of the accidents that day could have been avoided if the bridge was treated properly in a timely manner.
That pole was almost broken in half. Honestly, to go that fast to catch up to a truck that passed the scales is a bit too much.
Troopers pass me all the time doing 80 + miles per hour. No siren. No lights. Just flying up the road, hoping to "catch" someone doing something wrong!
Troopers: You treat us this way? Too bad for you. Of course we hate you for the job you do. Too haitis with the troopers.
The only people who respect State Troopers are their families.
The rest of hate them. If that's how you make your money, then we have no respect for you.
You aren't there to serve or protect. You are there to prey upon the rest of us.
Get a real job. Or start doing your job with some resemblance of respect for those you are supposed to be serving.
9:50 How exactly is it that we "treat" (you)? You hate us for the job that we do? You know nothing about the job that I, and my brothers and sisters do! When is the last time you were assaulted at your place of employment? When did you wake a family to tell them that a loved one was never returning because some jackass (I assume like you) was drving with complete disregard for others? If you were intelligent enough to spell Hades - I might give you some credibility.
11:53 We prey upon you? Remember that respect is a two-way street. If you are disatisfied with your treatment, act accordingly the next time you're stopped! BTW, my job (I consider it more of a calling)is as real as it gets.
What is YOUR vocation?
Anon 11:53, do not include others in your idiotic assumptions. I am not related to an trooper, or officer in general, but I certainly respect all of them. Granted there is always a butthead here and there but hey there are jerks in all professions. I have been pulled over for speeding, I pull to the side, turn on my inside light, put my hands on the steering wheel, and wait.. typically with a smile because hey I screwed up, it happens at times.
We all screw up and go a little faster than we should, but hey it is their job to hold us accountable for doing so. Why should I cop an attitude towards a trooper or any police officer for doing his job? Give me a ticket or a warning and I will be on my way.
He will go out there and deal with numerous idiots that jump around while jerking to the shoulder of the road, hands all over the place, and he will have to walk to that car not knowing if they have a gun, drugs, or something else but he will go to the car with little hesitation and do his job. Or he will be on scene of an accident where some one is injured and he will do what he can to help, he will sit in court for hours waiting to deal with the people that swear he was profiling or targeting them, and he will do so with tact.
You are a cop hater and the funny part of that is when you are robbed or in an accident you will feel some degree of peace when you see those flashing lights. If you hate troopers so much deal with all of the problems your life may have on your own and let those troopers that you have no respect for focus on protecting my family and the families like mine!
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