Received citation for "Failure to Clear Intersection"

[J0hnD0e]

Hello. I need some advice regarding a minor traffic ticket. This is what happened: I was the third car in the left turn lane and the vehicle at the very front is a dump truck. Behind me was a cop that’s been following me for about half a mile. The light turned green, and the truck made a somewhat slow and wide left turn. The car in front of me followed, then I entered the intersection, and the cop followed. Because of the behavior of the truck, I wasn’t able to clear the intersection before the light turned red, or so said the cop when he pulled me over and slapped me with a ticket for “failure to clear intersection under yellow light.”

Now I’m positive I entered the intersection under a green light, especially when I can see that there is a cop behind me, one who has been following for half a mile. I was being extra cautious. He wrote in the back of his ticket that I entered on a yellow light and continued to thrust when the light turned red. I pleaded not guilty on my arraignment date, and the trial date is a month and a half from now. Here’s a picture I made in paint to illustrate what happened (which I plan on using in court):

http://fileserver6.jpghosting.com/images/court3_a86ab86984260171e6e519d615a03132.JPG

Do I have a case? Any input will be appreciated and thanks in advance. I live in Oklahoma by the way.

 

[The Occultist]

Only one car from the left turn lane is allowed to enter the intersection at a time. If you're saying that the dump truck's movements caused you to be trapped in the intersection, that meant that you were the third vehicle to be in the intersection at the same time. The car in front of you broke the law as well, but I'm guessing they managed to clear the intersection while you didn't. I don't believe you have much of a leg to stand on.

 

[J0hnD0e]

so every time I'm in the left turn lane, I have to wait until the car in front of me clear the intersection before I enter? Even if it's the law, I don't think I have ever seen this happen.

also, if I have a change of mind and just want to pay for the ticket, is it too late now? what steps can I take?

 

[FlyingRon]

Any time you enter the intersection for ANY reason you are not supposed to do so unless you are certain you can clear it before the light changes. There's a lot of enforcement of this now especially in urban areas where "blocking the box" causes significant grid lock.

 

[J0hnD0e]

Any time you enter the intersection for ANY reason you are not supposed to do so unless you are certain you can clear it before the light changes.

what if I was certain until I was already in the intersection? I mean, how do I predict if the truck was going to make a wide turn or when the light was going to turn green?

 

[VeronicaLodge]

then you couldnt have been certain, you were just hoping

 

[Zigner]

how do I predict if the truck was going to make a wide turn or when the light was going to turn green?

You don't have to "predict"...you just have to wait BEFORE entering the intersection. And, this is a perfect example of "Everybody Does It" not being a viable defense...

 

[J0hnD0e]

thanks for everyone's input.