Police conduct sting operation targeting unsafe drivers in Peninsula

BURLINGAME, Calif. (KGO) -- Police officers in the Peninsula set out Friday on a sting operation targeting unsafe drivers and motorcyclists.

Lake Merced Boulevard is a dangerous roadway and this location is much of where the operation took place because it has a history of bad accidents.

In February, a 72-year-old woman died after being struck by a bus on a crosswalk at John Muir Drive and Lake Merced Boulevard in Daly City.

Folks who live nearby say the four lane roadway which runs along the lake has had many accidents.

"Couple of years ago unfortunately two young guys died here because of speeders," Gennady Mikityanski said.

"Everybody goes pretty fast and there has been a couple of times when people have been crossing the street and you can hardly see them," Shannon Dolan said.

Lake Merced Boulevard is known for speeders. The city is now installing traffic signals at the crosswalk to help slow down traffic.

Joint police safety enforcement operations like this one are trying to cut down on speeders, those in cars, and a special focus on motorcycles.

"Given the proximity to San Francisco State, there's a high volume of motorcycle traffic that travels through here," Sgt. Jay Kiely said.

Motorcycle units using Lidar remote sensing devices were catching a lot of speeders mostly drivers, but also motorcyclists.

"I put my Lidar unit at the motorcycle and I got a locked speed of 65 miles per hour at 1,123 feet," Burlingame Police Department Ofc. Nick Kempel said.

The driver was recorded driving 65 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone, plus he had a drivers license, but not a permit to operate a motorcycle.

Most of the speeders did not want to be caught on camera, but Adida Cortez did not mind.

Vic: "Are you going to slow down now?"

"Yeah my daughter always tells me, 'mom slow down,' I say 'okay, okay.' Now, I learned my lesson," Cortez said.

In San Mateo County last year, eight motorcyclists died and 216 were injured. So far, this year there's been only one fatality.

Police attribute the drop in large part to safety operations like this one.