Police clock Greenwood Lake teens driving 108 miles per hour

Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake police beef up enforcement on Route 17A Tuxedo - You wouldn’t think a 1997 Volkswagon Golf nor a 2000 Saturn could top out at more than 100 mph. But that’s what two 17-year-olds from Greenwood Lake were driving Dec. 14 in what Town of Tuxedo Police described as a unlawful speed contest along Route 17A just east of the Sterling Forest Ski Center. Police said the pair were racing at speeds of 108 mph in a 55-mph zone. Tuxedo Police Chief Daniel Carlin said his officers stopped the young drivers without incident because that section of Route 17A “goes down to two lanes from four so the officer could catch them without a long pursuit because the road also bends sharply.” The speed limit also drops from 55 to 30 mph. The teens were arrested at the scene, and after processing at Tuxedo Police Headquarters, they were released to their parents. They are scheduled for a Jan. 25 court appearance on charges of speeding, reckless driving and unlawful speed contest. They could lose their licenses, face stiff fines and possibly be sentenced to perform community service if they are found guilty. This is the not the first time police have stopped young people for speeding along Route 17A between Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake. In fact, Tuxedo Police and Greenwood Lake Police Department have teamed up to increase patrols on Route 17A in both jurisdictions after a rash of motor vehicle accidents involving teen drivers. There have been at least three recent rollovers involving young drivers and at least two deaths along this stretch of highway over the last six years. The arrests were part of a state-funded “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program” (S.T.E.P.) on Dec. 14. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Tuxedo Police made four arrests and issued 24 traffic tickets. Meanwhile, the Greenwood Lake Police Department will follow up by conducting driver safety courses at Tuxedo High School. “Having responded to the accident that involved a young man at this location and having had my Godson die in such an accident I am pretty strict in my interpretation of speed limits and youths, especially teens who have no experience driving,” Carlin said. “This problem won’t go away and unfortunately seems to be spreading to young women who are catching up to their male counterparts, as witnessed by some recent events in Port Jervis. “I hope parents realize that it is their responsibility to rein in their children before they kill themselves or another.”