Troopers play heavy presence on I-65 this weekend
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Downtown Indianapolis to Churchill Downs is 117 miles and should take a couple hours if you drive the speed limit. Indiana State Police are saying this is not the weekend to set a new track record.
“It is derby weekend, which means a lot of people are making that trek to the Louisville area for the derby.” said Stephen Wheeles, Staff Sergeant for the Indiana State Police
It is hard to not want to get across the Ohio river and into the stands for the run for the roses. Interstate 65, the vehicle pipeline that connects Indianapolis to Louisville, is expected to the busy this weekend. As you make your way to the first leg of the triple crown, cops are warning drivers to let their foot take the car into triple digits.
“We do see those speeds that tend to get up into the higher numbers into triple. it is important to note oh I may get a speeding ticket, but it is important to note if your speed gets up high enough you could be looking at a reckless driving charge which is a misdemeanor and could involve some jail time and higher fines.” said Wheeles.
There continues to be a lot of construction on the interstates in Indiana. Speeding in a construction zone carries a significantly higher fine. Indiana State Police have not announced any concentrated speed enforcement efforts or DUI check points along the road to Louisville. However, troopers plan on being very visible this weekend.
“We are gonna have a lot of troopers out. The key that we have a lot of people available and those troopers are gonna be conducting regular patrols on our interstates. We don’t want people to be stranded. We want to patrol those areas and make sure those people are checked on, and get them help if they need it, but also visibility is big thing we want to be visible.” said Wheeles.
Once the derby is over, you start your trip back across the Ohio river and up north.
“That is one of the things we are looking for, those that have consumed alcohol and are now putting other people in danger. We will be out looking for that and looking for violations like someone that is crossing the line between lanes, and following too close showing behavior that is indicative of someone that has been consuming alcohol.” said Wheeles
Make sure your mint julip consumption is below the legal limit to drive.