COLUMBUS (WCMH)– The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported its Fourth of July holiday weekend crash results. In all, 22 people died in 21 traffic crashes. The weekend began Thursday, July 2 and ended Sunday, July 5. Impairment was determined to be a factor in at least five of those crashes.
Total arrests were 425 for impaired driving and 280 for drug-related charges. The Patrol responded to 631 crashes and made more than 22,494 traffic contacts in total, which included providing assistance to more than 2,900 motorists.
“Driving impaired remains a significant problem,” said Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent in a news release. “We need motorists to commit to keeping our roads safe. Designate a sober driver.”
During last year’s Fourth of July reporting period from July 3 to July 7, there were a total of 16 fatal crashes that killed 17 people. Motorists are encouraged to call #677 to report impaired drivers or drug activity.
The state patrol provided a chart for you to compare previous years traffic and road interaction with its troopers: https://www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/links/July4th2020.pdf