Motorists: Beware of Hoyt Road/47th Avenue SW | Federal Way letters

Published 11:00 am Friday, October 15, 2010

The Federal Way Police Department is issuing tickets for a failure to stop at a traffic intersection that does not afford a 320th Street westbound officer the ability to see if the Hoyt Road/47th Avenue SW vehicle has indeed stopped. It is physically impossible to determine if someone has come to a stop. The interestion is 320th and Hoyt Road/47th Avenue SW. A westbound/facing west police officer on 320th cannot see a southbound car on Hoyt Road/47th Avenue SW come to a stop at the designated stop line. Trees and bushes completely obstruct the view of the area in which the southbound vehicle is required to stop. A Google Earth image of this intersection easily demonstrates the impossibility of an officer to make a well placed “failure to stop” ticket issuance. Yet, I have met nothing but resistance and rudeness from the issuing officer and resistance from his lieutenant despite his claim to “know this intersection well.”

The purpose of this complaint is that I am pretty certain that I am not the only one that has experienced this overzealous ticketing with absolutely no grounds for such. I will now have to spend the time, money (lost wages) and energy to dispute a citation that has no merit. Furthermore, how do citizens of this city get an audience on such an issue to prevent further hardship for fellow citizens/motorists? Suggestions?

Kelly Camoza, Federal Way