Councilwoman Accused of Driving 105 mph

Richard February 29, 2012 at 12:23 pm

105 MPH! It's apparent that the ticketing officer was influenced by her position in government. Any regular citizen would have met with much harsher punishment, maybe even an arrest.

chris February 29, 2012 at 12:42 pm

more than double the speed limit in maryland is considered reckless driving, six points and a $500 fine.

Donald James February 29, 2012 at 02:26 pm

I received a ticket for going 38 in a 25 and it was $90 bucks. The officer told me if it was two miles over I would have gotten a $160 ticket. Obviously her position allowed her not to receive the appropriate fine. She wasn't even ticketed for the speeding which in my mind is the more serious offense than a unsafe lane change. If this was any regular Joe....the license would probably be suspended. CRAZY!

Walter Darnall February 29, 2012 at 02:57 pm

Breaking traffic laws seems to be habit with this woman. According to this morning's article in the Washington Times she was clocked and taped by the ticketing police officer's in-car camera exceeding the posted speed limit by 55 MPH (more than 105 MPH) in a county-owned vehicle. Yet, she was only ticketed for an unsafe lane change and given a warning for excessive speed, that typical officer's "discretion" was applied. I say bull! Not under the circumstances of just "running late for an appointment." This matter needs to be further investigated and the councilwoman should be charged for wreckless driving (this is not a simple matter of speeding). The ticketing officer should be reprimanded for his lack of proper diescretion. Futher, the councilwoman should be banned from usng county-owned vehicles.

tanisha February 29, 2012 at 03:49 pm

Well said Mr. Darnall! What a great role model she is for teen drivers.

Joan February 29, 2012 at 04:35 pm

Absolutely!!!

Shaka Zulu February 29, 2012 at 05:30 pm

This is a criminal offense, she could have killed people with no problem, She should at the very least loose her privilege to drive a county vehicle, she really should loose her job just for thinking she is above the law. This smells kind of like the stuff where AG Holder refused to prosecute the panthers case, one hand washing the other. I heard she is going to pay the fine, how about taking the required defensive driving classes, getting 6 points on her license etc... This county has had enough of the corruption with our own politicians. Fire them all.

bckarn February 29, 2012 at 06:33 pm

True dat!

bckarn February 29, 2012 at 06:35 pm

Her use of a county vehicle should be revoked!

Darlene Prickett February 29, 2012 at 06:54 pm

A warning for going 105 at noon on the beltway? That's insane! So if I get caught going 15 over the speed limit by a camera I have to get a ticket but if I'm a council woman, with a record for reckless driving, and I get pulled over, it's just a warning? Shame on her and shame on cop who pulled her over!

Linda Lachman February 29, 2012 at 07:06 pm

Silly me, I'd love to know what was the life and death, compelling nature of that next meeting....

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:52 pm

agree 100%...absolutely ridiculous!!!

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:53 pm

yea...so sick of these "representatives" of our county getting off with a f'in slap on the wrist...where is the justice???

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:54 pm

and a double absolutely...this story just make my blood boil!

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:55 pm

touche'! nothing better than someone thinking they're above the law just because they're a county "official"...

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:58 pm

yea...SHAME ON ALL OF THEM...I think the public outrage should be heard throughout the County so something is done about it. And, what about all the people who've received "speeding" tickets from the lovely City of College Park and it's cameras...driving probably only 5-7 miles over the speed limit...smh

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:58 pm

me too...

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 07:59 pm

not if your a member of our county government, apparently

Jenny Hysan February 29, 2012 at 08:03 pm

once again, a GLARING example of the corruption in this county...one hand that feeds the other...and "those" hands only get a little slap...I'd like to slap her silly! Who does she think she is anyway?? Next meeting??? ha!!! I bet a pregnant woman in labor racing to the hospital wouldn't get this "nice" treatment. damn, this makes me SO mad!!!

SF February 29, 2012 at 08:38 pm

That's about the same fine I got for not coming to a 100 percent complete stop in front of the old Friends School at 2am when not a soul was around except for the crime-fighting UMd police officer hiding in the shadows. Both offenses seem about the same to me.

Richard February 29, 2012 at 11:15 pm

Speaking of the speed cameras, has anyone noticed that the city council has chosen to oppose State House Bil 1044? They opposed it because of privacy issues but which is understandable, but Mr. Wojahn commented that he does not see a need to use cameras that are endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of police. Is that because the cameras the city uses are not endorsed by anyone with any credibility? If the city ever obtained its own police force, would it be outside of any sanctioning body's approval in regards to tactics and equipment?

tcmitssr March 1, 2012 at 12:07 am

Heard on WTOP tonight that "the officer was doing 105 mph to catch up to here. However, because he could not activate his radar, safely, while driving at that speed....he could not ticket her for speeding. Instead he did notice her swerving from lane to lane for which he felt he could issue her a ticket.
Guess he couldn't have given her the speeding ticket and said in court "Your honor, I have no radar but I was doing 100 mph and she was moving away from me at that speed." Nah........ How many ways can you say "crock of crock?" Ms. Toles announced today that she would not drive her Prince George's County issued vehicle until she has had the time to take either an online or DVD driving refresher course. County Council members get County issued vehicles to drive? It's no wonder that "The Post" has taken P.G. Co. to task for the salaries of its elected officials which is the highest in the metropolitan D.C. area. Another example of an elected official getting away with it and a County Police force that will not investigate its elected officials.

tcmitssr March 1, 2012 at 12:12 am

Would it be possible, or legal, for the Greenbelt Police to make public any citations or criminal charges that were issued, or lodged, against our Council members and the higher levels of appointed city management?
While not accusing anyone of anything, given what has gone on in P.G. County, it would be nice to be assured that our own Greenbelt house is in order.

ms March 1, 2012 at 02:12 am

And she will probably be reelected. I'm amazed at the number of criminals holding office in PG county.

Walter Darnall March 1, 2012 at 03:28 am

I wonder what insurance company insures the PG County vehicles. Hopefully, the insurance company will be apprised of the councilwoman's irresponsible actions in this latest matter, plus her other two driving infractions. Just more wasted taxpayer dollars (via higher insurance premiums) to cover others irresponsible actions.
Surely, the councilwoman is guilty of some infraction of county policy, standards of conduct, etc. for an elected official. I would hope the "good" tax paying folks of PG County would persue this matter and demand accountability. An example should be made, IMO. Hopefully, the councilwoman's personal automobile insurance will now go up, especially since she now has had three traffic violations within the past two years.

Amme Alessi March 1, 2012 at 04:48 am

She is a habitually reckless driver and should be treated as such. Any officer providing her with "professional courtesy" is in dereliction of duty. It will be too late when one of these same officers that's given her a warning has to make death notification to an innocent family because she has killed someone. Unbelievable.

Maryjane Walker March 1, 2012 at 05:40 am

This woman is a disgrace to the position she holds. Suppose either she or the officer had caused an accident because of this incident. Would she still have received a "slap on the wrist?" What a "sorry" example she is! Maryjane

John R. March 2, 2012 at 05:03 am

Sigh... Same old P.G. County local government and police department we've had for the past 30 years. No wonder it has such a terrible reputation... and well earned I must say. The laws don't apply to the powers that be... just us lowly over taxed citizens. I guess some things never change.