Last month the EPPD took part in a speed enforcement initiative as part of our participation in the state’s Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) program.

On July 10 we hosted a speed enforcement detail in Eden Prairie with officers from our TZD partners – Bloomington, Edina and Hopkins – helping us out. In five hours, officers made 41 stops and issued 30 citations and 16 warnings. The officers also received lots of friendly waves and encouragement to “go get ‘em!”

In total, Eden Prairie officers issued 367 citations for speed in July. Fourteen of those stopped were also arrested for DWI, two had outstanding warrants and one was arrested for a weapons violation.  

Here are a few of the more notable speed stops we made last month:

• Just after midnight on July 9, an EPPD officer was on routine patrol at Highway 494 and Washington Ave. when he observed three vehicles that appeared to be racing each other while traveling west on 494. Their speeds exceeded 100 mph and the vehicles were passing other cars in the process.
  
  The officer took note of the license plates and was able to get all three cars safely pulled over to the side of the road by himself. He interviewed each driver, obtained confessions and cited the drivers for reckless driving – racing and speeding over 100 mph.

• One hour later that same officer was positioned near Highways 494 and 212 when he observed another vehicle driving 98 mph in a 60 mph zone. He pulled the car over and the driver was arrested for DWI and driving with a revoked license.

• At 2 a.m. on July 20, an EPPD officer attempted to stop a car speeding on northbound 169. The car did not stop and instead turned off its lights and reached a speed of 152 mph (the fastest speed we believe has ever been recorded by officers in Eden Prairie). The officer called off the pursuit after he lost sight of the vehicle when it exited at Lincoln Drive in Edina. Edina and Eden Prairie officers soon located the car and it fled again. The driver then got stuck in cul-de-sac and fled on foot. A K-9 team tracked the driver and found him hiding nearby. He was cited for fleeing, reckless driving and speeding.