|
Crashes, arrests up: Holiday weekend traffic citation numbers climb locally, statewide except OVI |
|
Tuesday, 01 December 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
Provisional numbers released Monday by the Ohio State Highway Patrol indicate that crashes and felony arrests increased this year across the state, while the number of arrests for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol (OVI) decreased during Thanksgiving weekend.
Numbers of vehicle contacts at the Wapakoneta Post also increased.
In Auglaize County, troopers made 440 motor vehicle contacts during the holiday weekend, said Lt. Scott Carrico, commander of the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The holiday reporting period, begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday and continued through midnight Sunday.
In Auglaize County, troopers made 440 motor vehicle contacts during the holiday weekend, said Lt. Scott Carrico, commander of the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
They investigated 11 crashes, including one fatal, which killed a Wapakoneta man who was alone in the vehicle and not wearing a seatbelt.
Joseph C. “Joe” Sparks, 29, 14733 State Route 65, died Wednesday night near Uniopolis, after he apparently failed to stop his vehicle at a stop sign at the intersection of Townline Lima road and Ohio 67. His vehicle ramped the road and then he lost control of the vehicle, went off the right side of the road and rolled his 2005 Chevy Malibu multiple times.
Alcohol is suspected in that crash.
Sparks was the county’s 10 traffic fatality. There have been 10 separate fatal crashes in Auglaize County during 2009.
Carrico said between Wednesday and Sunday night 143 citations were issued, one OVI arrest made and eight citations issued for failure to wear safety belts.
In comparison, during 2008, troopers with the Wapakoneta Post had 342 motor vehicle contacts, issued 166 citations, made four OVI arrests, issued 34 citations for failure to wear a safety belt, and investigated 15 crashes. There were no fatalities.
“Activity is pretty similar for the two years,” Carrico said, mentioning that there were two additional officers on the road in 2008. “These numbers are pretty consistent for the holiday reporting periods this time of year.
“Unfortunately, we had the one fatal crash this year and it’s something that we do not like to see at any time, let alone this time of the year,” he said.
Across the state, troopers arrested 20 people for felonies, compared to 17 in 2008 during the holiday weekend. Meanwhile, crash numbers rose from 469 in 2008 to 590 this year, an increase of 26 percent.
OVI arrests decreased from 362 during 2008’s Thanksgiving weekend to 304 this weekend.
|
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 December 2009 )
|
