HOV violators nabbed on I-66

Drivers who waltzed into the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on I-66 in Fairfax and Arlington on Thursday, confident they could speed along with impunity even though they didn't have the required number of passengers got a surprise and a ticket as Virginia State Police staged a crackdown during morning rush hour.

They issues 44 tickets to first-time offenders, 3 to second-time offenders and one to a driver who was caught for the fourth time. In addition, the troopers handed out tickets for one seat belt violation, five for driving without a license, eight for equipment violations and nine for other violations.

The HOV violation fines are $125 for the first offense, $250 for the second, $500 for the third and $1,000 for the fourth.