Fewer Fatalities, More Arrests Over Holiday

Provisional numbers released today by the Ohio State Highway Patrol show fewer motorists were killed on Ohio’s roadways this Thanksgiving Holiday. During the reporting period, which began Wednesday, November 23, at 12:00 a.m., and ran through Sunday, November 27, at 11:59 p.m., 14 people were killed on Ohio’s roadways.

This is a decrease from the past two years when 18 people lost their lives in 2010 and 20 died in 2009.  Additionally, this year’s reporting period was longer as it included the entire day before Thanksgiving while last year’s reporting began at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday.

The patrol reported 322 incidents in Marion County.

Impaired driving arrests increased more than 14 percent and drug arrests were up more than 37 percent when compared to last year’s holiday. One incident that resulted in the seizure of an estimated $800,000 in cash began as a traffic stop on Thanksgiving Day on Interstate 70 in Preble County. Due to the unusual circumstances discovered during the initial traffic stop, troopers worked alongside DEA agents in an investigation that uncovered the cash in a motorhome. The investigation is currently ongoing.

“We are encouraged by the reduction of fatalities and the increase in the arrests of criminals using our highways to carry out their crimes,” said Colonel John Born, Patrol superintendent. “I hope that the success of this holiday weekend will continue throughout the remainder of the year.”