Burgettstown Man In Trouble For Painting Main Street

BURGETTSTOWN (KDKA) - A Washington County man, accused of spray painting his street to remind drivers of the speed limit, is due in court Thursday to face the charges filed against him.

Complaints about speeding on local streets are a common grievance in every municipality, but rarely does someone pull out the paint and create their own speed limit sign.

"It just came upon me one night; I was fed up," said John Cherok II, the accused. "That was my attempt to get the traffic to slow down; I don't know what else to do."

Cherok's home and business are on Main Street in Burgettstown.

He says he's gone the conventional routes to complain with no results. Some of his neighbors think he's on the right track.

"That's something the borough should have done originally," said Derek Temple, a neighbor. "I mean, all the time, we got people flying through here. It's only right somebody stood up and tried to do something about it."

Local police studied the speeding claims and determined there is not a problem.

So KDKA's John Shumway pulled out the KDKA radar gun and found most drivers were well within the speed limit. But he did see several who were in the 30s; the worst 36 miles an hour.

Burgettstown considers it vandalism and has sent him a bill for $536 to cover and clean it up. He's been charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Shumway: "Will you just plead guilty and pay the fine?"

Cherok: "Absolutely not. I'm pleading not guilty.

Shumway: "You're going to fight it?"

Cherok: "Absolutely. Whatever it takes."

Cherok will begin his court fight Thursday. He also says he has no plans to write a check to have it covered up and doubts the borough will ever go to the effort anyway.

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In:
• Washington County
• Vandalism