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Seven Killed in Memorial Day Weekend Crashes
Fatalities, Injuries, Total Crashes Down
HARRISBURG: (May 29, 2007) -- Seven people were killed and 320 others were injured in 765 crashes investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police during the four-day Memorial Day holiday driving period, Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller said today.
“The numbers of fatalities, injuries and crashes each were lower this year than during the 2006 Memorial Day holiday driving period,” Miller said. “That’s the good news. The bad news is that none of the seven people who died was wearing a seat belt and four of the seven fatal crashes were alcohol-related.
“We would save lives and prevent so many injuries if everyone buckled up and refrained from drinking and driving.”
Miller said 80 of the 765 crashes investigated by state police were alcohol-related.
The official holiday driving period covered Friday through Monday. During that time, state police issued 6,396 speeding citations, charged 344 people with driving under the influence, cited 540 for not wearing seat belts and issued citations to 90 for not securing children in safety seats.
During last year’s four-day Memorial Day holiday, 11 people died and 361 others were injured in 870 crashes investigated by state police.
In 2006, troopers issued 6,452 speeding citations, charged 263 people with driving under the influence, cited 519 for not wearing seat belts and issued citations to 81 motorists for not securing children in safety seats.
Miller said the numbers cover only those crashes investigated by state police and do not include statistics on incidents to which other law-enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania responded. |
