LOWNDES COUNTY – Georgia State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Kinsey says no matter the reason, there’s no excuse for putting innocent lives in danger.
The trooper has watched speed-related fatalities nearly double in his 20 years patrolling the roads.
“Especially kids. I have kids, and when you see a kid that gets killed from a crash that could’ve been prevented it hits home,” says Kinsey.
Flashing blue lights lined I-75 Tuesday as troopers pulled speeding drivers off the road as a part of Operation Southern Shield.
“I honestly didn’t even realize I was going that fast,” said one driver to Kinsey.
Georgia, Florida and three other neighboring states are joining forces this week to spread the word and crack down on deadly crashes.
“I’m going to be honest with you. I was on my phone, but it was through my radio,” said another driver to Kinsey.
Some residents argue that the operation is all for the sake of revenue, but troopers are focusing on specific stats. GSP says over 200 speed-related fatalities happened in Georgia last year.
“We’re just trying to save lives out here, slow people down, and get the point across that speed does kill,” says Kinsey.
Preliminary numbers from Georgia’s Department of Transportation shows there’s been 40 fatalities from speeding to date this year.
