Mayes County Running 'Stop On Red' Operation

The Mayes County Sheriff's Office said they're getting so many complaints about people running red lights along highway 69 that they decided to do a special Stop On Red operation.

Over the weekend, Sergeant Billy Blackwell, other Mayes County deputies and officers from Pryor, Chouteau, Adair, Locust Grove and a couple of OHP troopers are working red light runners.

"We're in the middle of this stop on red initiative. We've had lots of accidents and deaths," Blackwell told one car.

In the past year alone there have been 152 accidents just on the 30 mile stretch of highway 69 that runs through Mayes County.

There are eight stop lights on that stretch and citizens say they are sick of people blowing through them, especially the big rigs.

They point out the speed limit is only 35, so there's plenty of time to stop.

Most people admit they didn't realize they did it.

The sheriff warned people on Facebook and on a billboard, but plenty of people still broke the law.

Sheriff Mike Reed said it's not about revenue because his office only gets $5 from each ticket.

He said when people argue deputies should be out working real crimes, he agrees, that's why all his guys are doing it on their day off.

"I can do it on my day off, I've got captains out here, the undersheriff, everybody is donating their free time to do this," Reed said.

He says they'll do this again in the future. He knows they won't stop the problem, but, they do plan to send a message.

"In Mayes County, when you're coming through these red lights, stop, it's as simple as that," Reed said.

In the first five hours Friday, all agencies together made 58 stops.

They'll be at it all weekend.