Councilwoman Accused of Driving 105 mph
Karen Toles released a statement in response to the traffic stop.
A Prince George’s County councilwoman is facing a traffic fine after she was stopped by police for speeding along the Capital Beltway earlier this month, according to police.
Councilmember Karen Toles (D-Dist. 7) of Suitland was fined $90 and given a warning for excessive speeding Feb. 22, according to Prince George's County Police. Toles was reportedly traveling close to 105 mph—50 mph above the speed limit, according to WUSA9.
According to police, Toles was ticketed around noon that day near Branch Avenue.
Toles released the following statement:
“On Feb. 22, I received a citation for an unsafe lane change and a warning for speeding. I was leaving a meeting and was late for my next appointment,” she said. “I consider moving violations serious matters and I regret the incident. I intend to pay the appropriate fine for these traffic violations.”
Toles has been cited before for "driving off a roadway while passing another vehicle" in September of 2010 and for an unsafe lane change in March of 2010, WUSA9 reported.
Richard
7:23 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
105 MPH! It's apparent that the ticketing officer was influenced by her position in government. Any regular citizen would have met with much harsher punishment, maybe even an arrest.
bckarn
1:33 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
True dat!
Jenny Hysan
2:52 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
agree 100%...absolutely ridiculous!!!
chris
7:42 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
more than double the speed limit in maryland is considered reckless driving, six points and a $500 fine.
Jenny Hysan
2:59 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
not if your a member of our county government, apparently
Donald James
9:26 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
I received a ticket for going 38 in a 25 and it was $90 bucks. The officer told me if it was two miles over I would have gotten a $160 ticket. Obviously her position allowed her not to receive the appropriate fine. She wasn't even ticketed for the speeding which in my mind is the more serious offense than a unsafe lane change. If this was any regular Joe....the license would probably be suspended. CRAZY!
Jenny Hysan
2:53 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
yea...so sick of these "representatives" of our county getting off with a f'in slap on the wrist...where is the justice???
Walter Darnall
9:57 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Breaking traffic laws seems to be habit with this woman. According to this morning's article in the Washington Times she was clocked and taped by the ticketing police officer's in-car camera exceeding the posted speed limit by 55 MPH (more than 105 MPH) in a county-owned vehicle. Yet, she was only ticketed for an unsafe lane change and given a warning for excessive speed, that typical officer's "discretion" was applied. I say bull! Not under the circumstances of just "running late for an appointment." This matter needs to be further investigated and the councilwoman should be charged for wreckless driving (this is not a simple matter of speeding). The ticketing officer should be reprimanded for his lack of proper diescretion. Futher, the councilwoman should be banned from usng county-owned vehicles.
Joan
11:35 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Absolutely!!!
bckarn
1:35 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Her use of a county vehicle should be revoked!
Jenny Hysan
2:54 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
and a double absolutely...this story just make my blood boil!
tanisha
10:49 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Well said Mr. Darnall! What a great role model she is for teen drivers.
Red White and Blue
12:30 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
This is a criminal offense, she could have killed people with no problem, She should at the very least loose her privilege to drive a county vehicle, she really should loose her job just for thinking she is above the law. This smells kind of like the stuff where AG Holder refused to prosecute the panthers case, one hand washing the other. I heard she is going to pay the fine, how about taking the required defensive driving classes, getting 6 points on her license etc... This county has had enough of the corruption with our own politicians. Fire them all.
Jenny Hysan
2:55 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
touche'! nothing better than someone thinking they're above the law just because they're a county "official"...
Darlene Prickett
1:54 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
A warning for going 105 at noon on the beltway? That's insane! So if I get caught going 15 over the speed limit by a camera I have to get a ticket but if I'm a council woman, with a record for reckless driving, and I get pulled over, it's just a warning? Shame on her and shame on cop who pulled her over!
Jenny Hysan
2:58 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
yea...SHAME ON ALL OF THEM...I think the public outrage should be heard throughout the County so something is done about it. And, what about all the people who've received "speeding" tickets from the lovely City of College Park and it's cameras...driving probably only 5-7 miles over the speed limit...smh
Linda Lachman
2:06 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Silly me, I'd love to know what was the life and death, compelling nature of that next meeting....
Jenny Hysan
2:58 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
me too...
Jenny Hysan
3:03 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
once again, a GLARING example of the corruption in this county...one hand that feeds the other...and "those" hands only get a little slap...I'd like to slap her silly! Who does she think she is anyway?? Next meeting??? ha!!! I bet a pregnant woman in labor racing to the hospital wouldn't get this "nice" treatment. damn, this makes me SO mad!!!
SF
3:38 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
That's about the same fine I got for not coming to a 100 percent complete stop in front of the old Friends School at 2am when not a soul was around except for the crime-fighting UMd police officer hiding in the shadows. Both offenses seem about the same to me.
Richard
6:15 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Speaking of the speed cameras, has anyone noticed that the city council has chosen to oppose State House Bil 1044? They opposed it because of privacy issues but which is understandable, but Mr. Wojahn commented that he does not see a need to use cameras that are endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of police. Is that because the cameras the city uses are not endorsed by anyone with any credibility? If the city ever obtained its own police force, would it be outside of any sanctioning body's approval in regards to tactics and equipment?
tcmitssr
7:07 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Heard on WTOP tonight that "the officer was doing 105 mph to catch up to here. However, because he could not activate his radar, safely, while driving at that speed....he could not ticket her for speeding. Instead he did notice her swerving from lane to lane for which he felt he could issue her a ticket.
Guess he couldn't have given her the speeding ticket and said in court "Your honor, I have no radar but I was doing 100 mph and she was moving away from me at that speed." Nah........
How many ways can you say "crock of crock?"
Ms. Toles announced today that she would not drive her Prince George's County issued vehicle until she has had the time to take either an online or DVD driving refresher course.
County Council members get County issued vehicles to drive? It's no wonder that "The Post" has taken P.G. Co. to task for the salaries of its elected officials which is the highest in the metropolitan D.C. area.
Another example of an elected official getting away with it and a County Police force that will not investigate its elected officials.
tcmitssr
7:12 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Would it be possible, or legal, for the Greenbelt Police to make public any citations or criminal charges that were issued, or lodged, against our Council members and the higher levels of appointed city management?
While not accusing anyone of anything, given what has gone on in P.G. County, it would be nice to be assured that our own Greenbelt house is in order.
ms
9:12 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
And she will probably be reelected. I'm amazed at the number of criminals holding office in PG county.
Walter Darnall
10:28 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
I wonder what insurance company insures the PG County vehicles. Hopefully, the insurance company will be apprised of the councilwoman's irresponsible actions in this latest matter, plus her other two driving infractions. Just more wasted taxpayer dollars (via higher insurance premiums) to cover others irresponsible actions.
Surely, the councilwoman is guilty of some infraction of county policy, standards of conduct, etc. for an elected official. I would hope the "good" tax paying folks of PG County would persue this matter and demand accountability. An example should be made, IMO.
Hopefully, the councilwoman's personal automobile insurance will now go up, especially since she now has had three traffic violations within the past two years.
Amme Alessi
11:48 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
She is a habitually reckless driver and should be treated as such. Any officer providing her with "professional courtesy" is in dereliction of duty. It will be too late when one of these same officers that's given her a warning has to make death notification to an innocent family because she has killed someone. Unbelievable.
Maryjane Walker
12:40 am on Thursday, March 1, 2012
This woman is a disgrace to the position she holds. Suppose either she or the officer had caused an accident because of this incident. Would she still have received a "slap on the wrist?" What a "sorry" example she is! Maryjane
John R.
12:03 am on Friday, March 2, 2012
Sigh... Same old P.G. County local government and police department we've had for the past 30 years. No wonder it has such a terrible reputation... and well earned I must say. The laws don't apply to the powers that be... just us lowly over taxed citizens. I guess some things never change.