COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that 17 people died in traffic crashes during the Fourth of July holiday reporting period.
The patrol says impaired driving was a factor in five of the crashes that occurred in the period that began June 30 and continued through July 4.
The patrol says there were 12 fatal crashes that killed 13 people over the same reporting period in 2016, which was a day longer. That number included seven crashes involving impaired driving.
The state Department of Natural Resources, meanwhile, reported no boating-related fatalities, though ODNR and law enforcement officers issued five citations for boating under the influence, known as BUI, Division of Parks and Watercraft chief Mike Bailey said.
Alcohol use while boating is the leading factor in boater deaths nationwide and the ODNR participated in Operation Dry Water, a nationwide crackdown initiative aimed at removing impaired boaters from public waterways.
Anyone operating a boat with a blood alcohol content above the state limit of .08, just like motorists, can be cited for boating under the influence.
Troopers say they made 908 arrests for operating a vehicle under the influence and 624 for drug-related charges.
The patrol responded to 807 crashes and made more than 43,000 traffic contacts. Some of those contacts included assisting more than 5,000 motorists.
ODNR officers, by comparison, contacted 1,504 boaters on 530 vessels for various violations of Ohio watercraft and local laws, Bailey said.