Heber City officers are patrolling the streets to enforce traffic safety at intersections near schools.
Officers are stationed at 800 South and Main Street, near Wasatch High School, where a 14-year-old girl was hit by a car Sept. 27.
The Utah Department of Transportation recently installed a new crossing signal there. It is mandatory for drivers to stop when the lights are flashing.
Heber City Police Sgt. Josh Weishar said he spent Wednesday morning enforcing the newly installed safety measures. He described the scene on Main Street, where school leaders and police officers helped students cross.
“We have an officer on both sides, and we just wait and watch to see if anyone fails to yield to either the officer or the students in the crosswalk,” he said. “Then we initiate a traffic stop and issue a citation, a warning, or whatever is necessary.”
Police are also reenforcing traffic laws at 600 South and Mill Road, where there’s a new four-way stop. The city will finish painting crosswalk stripes there when weather permits.
The Heber City Council approved the changes on Mill Road at the beginning of October.
They are meant to improve safety for students at Timpanogos Middle School and Old Mill Elementary School.
Weishar said his team put up road signs and flashed police lights to warn drivers of the changes.
“But even with that, you could just tell people didn’t see the stop sign or weren’t paying attention,” he said. “So we did end up pulling over quite a few people, and they’re still doing it now out there.”
He reminded residents to stay alert.
“We need everybody to slow down and pay attention to crosswalks,” he said, “and we need anybody that’s walking to… be defensive when you’re walking.”
