Mayfield KSP Officer among those honored



Mayfield KSP Officer among those honored

Back row, left to right; Officer Luke Pridemore, Inspector William Moore, Inspector Wesley Garmon and Tpr. First Class Elliott Gollihue,Front row, left to right; Trooper Eddie Whitworth, Trooper Nathan Clinkenbeard and Trooper Jason S. Young

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) - It’s not often that law enforcement gets thanked for the work they’ve done for highway safety. In fact, usually it’s the opposite. But today, several officers received much needed thanks and congratulations as Kentucky State Police honored seven members of their agency who went above and beyond the call of duty to make the highways safer.  The “Excellence in Highway Safety” Awards are based upon the highest number of occupant protection, speed, driving under the influence (DUI), commercial motor vehicle (CMV) citations written and educational programs provided during 2010.

KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer presented the awards in a ceremony held at KSP Headquarters on March 10, 2011.

“Traffic enforcement blended with public education has a direct impact on the highways by removing dangerous drivers from the road and providing consistent traffic safety messaging to the public. The individuals receiving awards today are to be commended for the lives they have helped to save," says Brewer.

Tpr. Nathan Clinkenbeard is a two-year veteran from the Mayfield Post and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for Occupant Protection.  Trooper Clinkenbeard wrote 482 seat belt citations in 2010.

Mayfield Post Commander, Capt. Nathan Kent says Clinkenbeard serves as a model unit for the agency and is proud of his efforts.

"It is untold how many serious injuries and even deaths that his enforcement efforts have spared," says Kent.

Trooper Eddie Whitworth is a two-year veteran from the Frankfort Post and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for the highest number of DUI arrests in 2010.  Trooper Whitworth made 249 DUI arrests in his patrol area.

Frankfort Post Commander, Capt. Mike Crawford, commended Trooper Whitworth for his accomplishments in DUI detection and apprehension.

"There is no doubt that he (Whitworth) has played a major part of our reduction in DUI fatalities in the Post 12 area.  He is to be commended for his diligence in making our highways safer," says Crawford.

Trooper Jason S. Young is a nine-year veteran from the Harlan Post and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for highest number of speed citations.  Trooper Young wrote 1,598 speed citations in 2010.

Harlan Post Commander, Capt. Leslie Smith, praised Trooper Young for his enthusiasm and dedication in speed enforcement.

“Trooper Young plays a vital role in reducing and preventing crashes in the Harlan Post area. His efforts have made a noticeable difference in the driving habits of the general public traveling on roadways in our community,” said Smith.

Trooper First Class (TFC) Elliott Gollihue is a seventeen-year veteran from the Ashland Post and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for Community Education by hosting 179 education events relating to highway safety issues.

Ashland Post Commander, Capt. Merrell Harrison, was not surprised that Gollihue received the award for community education.

“TFC Gollihue takes great pride in educating the citizens of the Commonwealth in highway safety.  His pride is evident through his dedication in regularly presenting the most current program topics available on highway safety,” says Harrison.

The KSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Division awards were based on the number of safety inspections administered, percentage of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) deemed out of service as a result of inspections, and total number of CMV citations.

Officer Luke Pridemore is a two and one-half year veteran from the Pikeville Region and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for highest number of CMV Safety Inspections and the highest Vehicle Out of Service Rate by a sworn officer. Pridemore accounted for 1,203 CMV Inspections and recorded a 91 percent Vehicle Out of Service Rate for the 2010 year.

CVE Commander, Capt. Kevin Henry said Officer Pridemore’s work ethic and enthusiasm are unmatched.

“Officer Pridemore is a highly productive officer who is dedicated to his job and strives to excel in his duties to keep Kentucky’s roadways safe,” says Henry.

Inspector William Moore is a fifteen-year veteran from the Morehead Region and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for highest number of CMV Safety Inspections.  Moore completed 1,839 vehicle inspections.

CVE Commander, Lt. Jamie Collins commended Moore for the work he performs on a daily basis.

 “Inspector Moore is committed to removing unsafe trucks from Kentucky roadways and making sure that trucking companies are compliant with taxes due,” says Collins.

Inspector Wesley Garmon is a one-year veteran from the Louisville Region and received the Excellence in Highway Safety Award for the highest Vehicle Out of Service Rate by a civilian employee.  Garmon had an Out of Service Rate of 63% for the 2010 year.

CVE Commander, Capt. Daniel Pearman commended Inspector Garmon for the success the Louisville Region has experienced.

"Inspector Garmon’s meticulous attention to detail and steadfast work ethic has allowed him to recognize numerous commercial vehicle safety violations that resulted in the removal of several unsafe commercial vehicles from the roadways and greatly improved the safety of our citizens and visitors traveling them,” says Pearman.

Commissioner Brewer thanked all the award recipients for their desire to save lives and make the Commonwealth safer for Kentuckians.

“We have a group of officers who go beyond what is normally expected of them and we want to show them how much we appreciate what they do.  Their efforts have a direct correlation with the reduction in highway deaths in Kentucky. They make a colossal contribution to keeping roadways safer throughout the state," he said.

“The men and women who serve this agency every day by patrolling our roadways made an incredible impact in 2010.   Statewide, KSP Troopers and CVE Officers wrote 75,297 speed citations; 33,967 seat belt/restraint citations; 36,819 CMV citations; made 7,030 DUI arrests and provided local communities with 2,303 educational programs pertaining to highway safety.  All of these officers are to be commended,” added Brewer.