COLUMBUS – Seven people were killed in crashes on Ohio roads over the four-day Fourth of July holiday period, about half as many as a year ago and the fewest in three years.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that those deaths occurred in six separate crashes from Thursday to Sunday. It was the smallest number of fatalities since three people died over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 2012.
The only fatal crash in central Ohio happened when a motorcyclist died after being struck by a teenage driver in Pickaway County.
In addition, the patrol reports that troopers made 690 arrests for impaired driving during that period, and 391 on drug-related charges.
The patrol responded to 643 crashes during that time, and issued more than 2,600 citations for aggressive driving and more than 6,000 citations for safety belt violations.
During the Fourth of July reporting period in 2014, 12 people died in 11 crashes. Seventeen people died in crashes during the same period in 2013.