CENTRAL OHIO -- The Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest weekends when it comes to the driving on Ohio roadways, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol. This year was no different.
NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.
West Jefferson resident Gilbert Cox wasn’t afraid to admit he likes to have a beer now and then, but when it comes to drinking and driving, “I know better,” he said. “If you drink and drive, you're going to get caught.”
After this weekend, it was clear some drivers don’t know better.
From Friday night to Monday night, troopers with the OSP West Jefferson post arrested 13 people for OVI. That's down from 17 last year.
Sergeant Rick Alonso credits stepped up presence on the roads. “The goal is, hopefully, none,” he said. “Hopefully, the numbers will continually get down.”
The number of vehicle crashes in West Jefferson also dropped from three to one; none were fatal.
While troopers at the West Jefferson post made it through the weekend without any fatal crashes, that isn’t to say they didn’t happen other places.
Troopers in Licking County investigated two fatal crashes over the weekend.
They said they believe alcohol was a factor in one on Friday night on Fallsburg Road.
Officials said 38-year-old Christopher Kaluzne of Newark was killed after his car hit a guardrail, drove off the road and overturned.
Last year, traffic crashes killed 18 people in Ohio over the Labor Day weekend. Seven of those crashes were alcohol-related.
OSP provided NBC 4 with holiday weekend crash totals.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that Labor Day fatalities were down from last year.
Law enforcement agencies reported 12 fatal crashes, killing 12 people, from 6 p.m. Friday to midnight Monday.
Last year, 18 people were killed during a similar reporting period.
As part of the national Over the Limit. Under Arrest. campaign, which ran from Aug. 21 through Sept. 7, the patrol arrested 1,564 motorists for OVI.
During this holiday weekend alone, troopers removed 596 impaired drivers off Ohio roadways.
OSP reported 11 people were injured in holiday weekend crashes.
Of the 12 fatal crashes, three were determined to be alcohol-related, three were not and six were undetermined currently.
For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
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