Police officers, troopers blitz Shoreway truckers carrying loads way over the legal limit

CLEVELAND - A sharp increase in truck crashes on the Shoreway in July included five crashes over the course of four days. Police said all of the accidents, most of them rollovers, involved trucks that were over the weight limit.

That caught the attention of officials who also recently banned large trucks from using the 70-year-old deteriorating Main Avenue Bridge.

This week Cleveland police teamed up with the Ohio State Highway Patrol to crack down on truck drivers breaking the law.

Thursday, as NewsChannel5 was taping the law enforcement blitz, troopers pulled over a truck that was not only 6,400 pounds over the weight limit, but had four bad brakes.

The truck driver was cited, fined and the truck detained.

Police officers and troopers pulled over truck after truck on the Shoreway and escorted the trucks to the Muni lot where the trucks were weighed and run through a series of safety checks.

The worst offenders were red tagged or put out of service until repairs are made.

Troopers found trucks from 4,000 to 10,000 pounds over the weigh limit. Some trucks were towed for safety repairs. Some trucks did not have their loads properly fastened.

"You've got your life plus everybody else’s life you're responsible for when you're going up and down the highway," said Trooper William Hoberg.

Also this year, truck drivers caught using a cellphone can be fined $2,700 and their company fined thousands more.