Hundreds of Rochester-Area Drivers Ticketed in Statewide Speeding Crackdown

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News)- Hundreds of drivers in the Rochester area were cited during a statewide speeding crackdown last month. 

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That’s according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS). The state agency organized a statewide crackdown on speeding in July as part of an effort to stem one of the leading causes of traffic deaths on the state’s roads. 

The Rochester Police Department, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office were among the law enforcement agencies that issued the most speeding tickets in counties and cities outside of the Twin Cities Metro. Rochester Police ticketed 254 drivers speeding, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office issued 140 speeding citations and Goodhue County deputies cited 149 drivers for speeding, according to a DPS summary of the crackdown. 

State Troopers in the State Patrol’s southeast Minnesota district handed out 1,431 tickets, which came in third among the agency's five districts that partook in the enforcement effort. 

DPS says 47 of the participating agencies wrote tickets for drivers traveling at least 100 mph including the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, which ticketed a motorcyclist who was clocked doing 130 mph before crashing and suffering minor injuries. 

Statewide the 291 agencies participating in the crackdown ticketed a combined 20,657 drivers for speeding.

Through July 30, speed was blamed in 69 of the state’s traffic fatalities through July 30 of this year. That’s down from 79 speed-related fatal crashes reported through July 30 of last year.