Officials have notified TLS that Howell Police are ticketing motorists disregarding the marked detour on Squankum Road and going around the cones. The detour is approximately two miles north of Lakewood and closes off a chunk of road containing downed trees and wires.
If you’re traveling to New York, use either Route 9 North to the 195 or further, or the Garden State Parkway at the 91 entrance via Lanes Mill Road.
It is unknown when the road will reopen.
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(Part of this info was sent out on our News Alerts earlier. To sign up to our alerts, send ‘Follow lakewoodscoop’ to the number ‘40404’ from yoour cell phone, or find us on Twitter @lakewoodscoop).
If you go around a detoured road because you don’t feel like obeying the closure then by all rights you should be ticketed
This is appropriate! Why put yourself and others at risk of injury or death? Emergency workers are busy with the regular workload. They do not need the added problems associated with people that intentionally put themselves at risk.
If you ignore a detour sign you deserve a ticket but the question is how prominently was it placed.I once got a ticket in Jackson for this. The sign was on the side of the road. An unmarked police car was tailgating me when I was trying to figure what to do so I had no time to assess the situation. I really thought the road was open and they didn’t remove the sign.So did the twenty other people I met in court who were pulled over that day.
I’m not suggesting this is the case in Howell
Howell police are loving it.gotcha!
I agree. The people that are putting their own lives as well as EMS responders on the line by driving around these cones, are the same people that are out driving in middle of a snowstorm without any care for who they may place in danger.
Plain outright selfish!
Um….what if there would be a cliff on the other side? How dumb!
To all those people that dont know what happened please dont post a comment! At about 8:10am this morning I was driving North on Squankum Rd. I came to an area on the road where there were Police cones blocking the opposite direction NOT the North bound direction. THERE WAS NO SIGN STATING THE ROAD WAS CLOSED(someone must have moved the cones and the sign). There were about 15-20 cars in front of me that continued on the road as well as I and about 15-20 cars behind me. About 3/4 mile down the road a Howell Police officer stopped the first car and did not let anyone by. A minute later a 2nd Howell Police officer pulled up behind the line of cars and did not let anyone back up or turn around. At this point the 2 Police officers proceeded om taking everyones Drvers license, Insurance and Registartion. The police officers made us wait in the line until they gave us a ticket then they let us make a u-turn and go on our way. This whole process took 45 min for me so not only did I receive a ticket which I nor anyone should have ever received, but I also showed up to work 45 min late. This whole thing was totally unfair and i plan to fight the ticket in court even though the cop said there are no points.
To Bill Hobday,
Please know the facts before you make any judgment! If you want to know the facts I am willing to discuss it with you as I Received a ticket! Once you know the facts and you want to pass judgment that your right but until then please dont pass judgment!
Good Point!! Bec there’s usually cliffs in middle of squankem!!!
there were cones only on the other side coming into lakewood and I saw 50 cars unknowingly fall into the claws of the Howell cops. there were NO cones blocking squankum going into Howell. All those people got tickets for no reason and were then sent u-turn back to lakewood. unfair.
OK let me just say I have seen cones moved at various locations and there are always some who think they can just do what they want, i do not know if thats the case with this driver and without actualy seeing what took place I wont comment on this ,however to all those who think you have a right to do whatevver you want you are putting lives in jepordy including your own just to save a few minutes ,I have often said a second of stupidity can cost you a lifetime of grief
To number 8, (I received a TICKET). Read the story posted on TLS. You should be angry at whoever removed the cones.
However you should have also known that it is very unlikely that direction of a roadway is blocked and the other direction is open. That is why they call it Road Closure.
Don’t pass judgement without knowing the facts. I was personally there. It was not marked as road closed. Trust me, had it been marked no one would have traveresed the area.
But you know better and your quick to place blame….
Shame on Howell Cops.At a time when people are suffering from Sandy and Police depatrtments all over the tri state area have showed their caring side. The Howell pd rears its ugly head in showing all they want is money!!
i learned my lesson years ago get to the parkway by exit 91 skip Howell its not worth it. You may even find that its quicker
To Bill Hobday,
There are many times that Howell Police dept closes one direction of Squankum Rd for construction, road work etc… For example during the whole summer the south bound lane of Squankum Rd. was closed the whole day for some sort of construction as I travel this road every day to get to work- I am aware of this. For this fact when I and many others were traveling on Friday morning on Squankum Rd. we thought like many times before just the south bound lane was closed and not the north bound lane. Like I said before, please know all the facts before you comment on a story!
I was once ticketed on Squankum for speeding and I knew I was speeding and I deserved a ticket, but, I have to give credit where it’s due and the cop was very fair. He only gave me a ticket for unsafe driving, which has no points and doesn’t go on my record. (maybe it had to do with my being a middle aged woman, and not a man)
Can we all fight this ticket together?
corruption in the Howell police department!
I think we should fight this together. I spoke to Mr. Penzer and he said that it would be best if we went through our public officials. I tried Menashe Miller but could not get through on the # that I had. I left 2 messages on Meir Lichtenstiens line and was in touch with his wife. I think if all of us called our public officials we can be successful without having to hire a lawyer. If that fails we should probably hire one attorney to represent us. Please text me at 732-740-7888 if you were ticketed so we can work together.
I was the second car in line at about 8:00 am, Friday morning. There were NO cones or police or any sign of anything wrong until AfTER the downed wires, which were on the other side of the road- in the incoming traffic. About 500 feet ahead of that was a charger blocking the ONCOMING traffic. He stopped the lady in front of me and gave her a ticket. When he wanted to give me a ticket, I got out of my car to take pictures to show in court that there was no sign showing me that this was a no-entry route. He backed off and said, “this is a verbal warning, and drive carefully cuz there are downed trees and wires” !! They r so full of garbage. And for all the above comments, ppl if u don’t know the facts, don’t post!!
To crazy,
Did you take the picture of no cones? If yes can you email it to me so I can have that piece of evidence for court.
Thank you
Thank G-d for local police and STATE Troopers for keeping safety and order especially in this extreme weather and recovery. Disregard for police lines, cones or traffic laws, barricades is a disrespect of life and safety for all. Your destination or urgency does not take priority over the safety of all!
To # 23,
You have some real nerve trying to twist a story and manipulate it to the exact opposite of what it was!!
Can’t you read English!!? Or is you deliberately ignoring the facts to suit your hate-craving appetite??
See also https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2012/11/how-fair-were-those-summonses-issued-by-howell-police.html#more-67982
Geez!