Woman Has 3000 Toll Violations - Owes $76,000

[matcom]

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DALLAS --The North Texas Tollway Authority says it has a forgiving attitude for Dallas-area travelers who sometimes pass through their booths without anteing up.

"We recognize that sometimes you get in the wrong lane, or you don't have money," said Clayton Howe, director of the authority's toll programs and services. "We don't punish people for that kind of activity."

But Evangelina Gonzalez apparently pressed her luck with nearly 3,000 violations since February 2004. Gonzalez, 41, owes a record $76,039, which includes a $25 administrative fee per violation, The Dallas Morning News reported in Wednesday editions.

A constable was sent to her home last month with an arrest warrant. She was booked into the county jail and later released on the condition she appear in court on the Class C misdemeanors.

Gonzalez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday by The Associated Press. No phone listing for her could be found.

She stands accused of failing to pay 2,953 tolls on the Dallas North Tollway and Bush Turnpike.

Gonzalez isn't alone. Another violator has a $61,025 bill pending.

Howe said the tollway authority doesn't expect to collect all the fees from Gonzalez, but anticipates a fair assessment from a judge. The authority uses cameras and a database to catch offenders.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/11/02/woman_has_nearly_3000_toll_violations?mode=PF