COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that 11 people lost their lives in nine traffic crashes during the July Fourth holiday Monday and Tuesday, nearly as many as were killed last year when the holiday reporting period was twice as long.
The Fourth of July reporting period in 2022 ran from July 1 through 4 and a total of 16 fatal crashes killed 16 people.
Three of the fatalities occurred in Franklin County on the night of July 4 when two men and a woman were killed in a three-vehicle crash on Refugee Road near Schwartz Road.
The Patrol responded to 249 crashes, Patrol spokesman Lt. Nathan Dennis said.
Drug or alcohol impairment were determined to be a factor in two of this year’s fatal crashes and a safety belt was not used in three of them. Troopers made 133 arrests for impaired driving and 96 for drug-related charges, according to the Patrol’s report.
Motorists are encouraged to call #677 to report impaired drivers or drug activity.