COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Highway Patrol is reporting a total of 11 fatalities on the state’s roadways during the New Year holiday period, from Friday, December 30, to Monday, January 2. According to provisional statistics, nine fatal crashes occurred during this time, with impairment being a factor in six of these incidents. In addition, the patrol said, eight of the deceased were not wearing safety belts at the time of the crashes.
In an effort to reduce accidents and fatalities on the road, Ohio state troopers removed 214 impaired drivers from the roads and cited 67 individuals for distracted driving and 101 for illegal drug violations.
While this year’s four-day holiday period saw one less fatality than the same period in the previous year, authorities are encouraging the public to continue using the #677 hotline to report dangerous or impaired drivers, as well as any drug activity.
