Richmond, Virginia.Preliminary data from Virginia State Police shows that seven persons lost their lives in road crashes around Virginia over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, down from 11 in 2023 and 19 in 2022.
Seven separate fatal crashes occurred in Bath, Culpeper, Page, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, and Wythe counties during the course of five days, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1. An off-road ATV collision in Warren County on Thanksgiving Day was one of the accidents. According to state police, only two of the victims in these collisions were verified to have been buckled up.
Although we want that number to be zero, Virginia State Police is happy that the number of fatalities is continuing to decline, said Lt. Col. Matt Hanley, the agency’s acting superintendent. Still, far too many people are not fastening their seat belts while driving. It has the potential to save lives.
As part of a national traffic safety drive called Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort), state troopers stepped up enforcement during the vacation. Troopers issued 116 tickets for child restraint violations and 404 for seat belt violations over the weekend. In addition to more than 3,600 speeding citations and 1,700 reckless driving citations, there were 77 DUI arrests, including one for driving under the influence of drugs.
During that time, troopers responded to 1,182 crashes around the state, 129 of which resulted in injuries. In order to stop more deaths throughout the holiday season, officials emphasized the significance of using seat belts and driving safely.
State police stressed that the seven fatalities are a clear warning that everyone on the road this holiday season ought to continue to prioritize traffic safety.
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