Mesa County Sees Spike in Reckless Driving Incidents

What's behind the spike in reckless driving incidents in Mesa County? Two high-profile cases on Sunday have locals on edge. A sergeant from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office spotted a truck speeding near Front and Second Streets in Clifton around 7:45 p.m. The driver, 34-year-old Michael Johnson from Clifton, lost control of his vehicle when he turned a corner — it tipped over. Johnson didn't stop then. He kept driving until he reached the 3200 block of E 1/2 Road, where he abandoned his vehicle and ran. Deputies caught up with him shortly after. Johnson was uncooperative during his arrest — he was physically and verbally aggressive. A search of his vehicle turned up multiple open and unopened alcohol containers. He had small alcohol containers on him too. Johnson's charges include reckless driving, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, DUI, and criminal mischief, a $300 to $1,000 offense.

Less than three hours later, another reckless driving incident occurred. This time, it involved 21-year-old David Morris from Palisade on a motorcycle. A deputy saw Morris allegedly driving over 100 miles per hour on F Road from 31 Road in Fruitvale. Morris tried to evade law enforcement by turning off his bike's lights. When a second deputy tried to stop him, he attempted to flee again. Deputies, with help from the Palisade Police Department, searched for Morris and found his bike parked at a house on the 900 block of Iowa Avenue in Palisade. They spoke with the residents, identified Morris as the driver, and took him into custody. Morris was booked for vehicular eluding, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, and no insurance in possession; his vehicle also had no license plate attached.

The Sheriff's Office is using these incidents to remind the community of some basic safety rules: don't drive under the influence, speed limits are not suggestions, and pull over when you see a patrol vehicle's lights - don't try to elude them. Make no mistake, these incidents are a concern for locals. The short version: reckless driving puts everyone at risk. Folks around here are worth listening to. they know the roads, the drivers, and the dangers. What they're not saying is that these incidents might be symptoms of a larger issue. Law enforcement isn't providing additional context on what might be driving these reckless behavior incidents. Read that again: two incidents in one day, with one driver allegedly reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour. This will cost taxpayers, in emergency response, law enforcement time, and potentially, lives. Sheriff's officials will be watching; and so will the community. The question is, will that be enough to prevent the next reckless driving incident?