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OSHP: Fatalities, impaired driving, drug arrests up this Thanksgiving holiday

The number of fatal crashes and the fatalities resulting from them this 2017 Thanksgiving holiday reporting period are up compared to the same five-day period in 2016, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a prepared statement Monday.

For the period from midnight Wednesday, Nov. 22, to 11:59 p.m., Nov. 26:

  • 16 people were killed in 11 fatal crashes (In 2016, 9 were killed in 9 fatal crashes)
  • 7 were not wearing a safety belt
  • 1 pedestrian was killed

OTHER LOCAL NEWS: Area high school football coach killed in crash

Arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired, drug violations and seat belts also increased this year over 2016

  • 542 drivers were arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired (a 15 percent increase this year over 2016)
  •  294 drug arrests were made
  • 1,541 seat belt violations were recorded

"The lack of safety belt usage remains a significant problem," said Col. Paul A. Pride, Patrol superintendent. "Motorists need to remember wearing a safety belt is the most important thing they can do to protect themselves during a crash."

In the first 10 months of 2017, alcohol-involved fatal crashes have decreased by 15 percent. During the same time period, troopers made more than 23,000 arrests for driving while impaired, an 8 percent increase from 2016.

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