FHP: Traffic Crashes Up During Fourth Weekend

July 13, 2010

Traffic crashes in the local FHP district were up over 40 percent during the Fourth of July weekend over the same holiday period last year.

There were 126 crashes in district this year, up from 88 in 2009.  Those crashes happened July 2-5 in the Florida Highway Patrol’s Troop A, which includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun and Gulf counties.

There were two fatalities in FHP Troop A area, with 16 overall fatalities across Florida.

The FHP issued 9,334 citations during the Independence Day weekend across the state. Troopers made 100 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and cited more than 3,000 drivers for speeding and more than 1,000 for failure to buckle up.

“The Florida Highway Patrol works hard to ensure residents and visitors make it safely to their destinations,” said Col. John Czernis, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “For us, that means putting additional troopers on the roadways to deter and to stop motorists who drive illegally and without regard to others’ safety. FHP does not tolerate risky behavior, such as drinking and driving, and neither should you. The Patrol encourages motorists to report aggressive drivers by dialing *FHP (*347) from your cell phones.”

Pictured above: A passenger in this vehicle was injured in an early morning crash July 3 near Walnut Hill. Pictured inset: Pictured below: A passenger in the vehicle was transported by LifeFlight. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News