This Day in History: 1954-01-27
Highlights of the annual report of the Mahwah Police Department presented to the Township Committee included the efforts of the Department to enforce the temporary 35 mph speed limit on Route 17. The Township lowered the speed limit to 35 after two accidents resulting in five deaths on the road. Chief Smith maintained that if the list had been lowered fewer deaths would have resulted. Until such time as the State widens the highway the speed limit would remain at 35 from the New York State Line at Hillburn to the Ramsey traffic circle. These five fatalities were the only ones recorded during 1953 among the 137 accidents handled by the Mahwah Police during the year, Chief Smith reported. He also reported one suicide and one case of bookmaking among the 1,344 investigations undertaken by the Department. The Township Committee authorized the purchase of two new police cars from E. A. Thompson Motor Sales, the Ford agency in Suffern.
(Bristow)