The Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone and more drivers were killed on Ohio's roadways this holiday weekend than in recent years, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Between Wednesday, November 22 at 12 a.m and Sunday, November 27 at 11:59 p.m., 16 people were killed in 11 fatal crashes. During the same reporting period last year, nine people were killed in nine fatal crashes.
According to troopers, seven of the 16 people killed this year were not wearing a seatbelt, and one victim was a pedestrian. Patrol superintendent Colonel Paul Pride said the lack of seat belt usage remains a big problem in Ohio.
Patrols also report the number of arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired, drug violations and seatbelts also increased over the Thanksgiving weekend. Troopers say 542 drivers were arrested this year for operating a vehicle while impaired, a 15 percent increase from last year. They also reported 294 drug arrested and issued 1,541 seatbelt violations.
