Deadly weekend on Va. highways
Two more than reported over Thanksgiving than last year
Ten people were killed in crashes in Virginia — including one in Hampton Roads — over Thanksgiving weekend.
The holiday weekend was deadlier than last year, when eight people died, Virginia State Police said Thursdsay in a news release. But it was less than the 12 reported in 2018.
Each crash included in the state’s tally this year was between 12:01 a.m. Nov. 25 and midnight Nov. 29. The local fatality occurred in Newport News, when a man lost control of his motorcycle in the westbound lanes of Interstate 64.
Police said he ran off the roadway before hitting a guardrail. The others occurred in Lynchburg and Richmond, as well as Frederick, Pittsylvania, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties. Among the victims was a teenager and a 6-yearold boy who weren’t wearing seat belts.
Speed played a role in four of this year’s crashes, and others involved alcohol and a pedestrian, police said.
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 2015, nine were killed on Virginia roads. Eight died in 2016, followed by 14 in 2017 — the highest number reported by police since 2013, according to state statistics.
This year, police said they participated in Operation CARE, which stands for Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort. It ’s an annual, state-sponsored, national program in which the state police increases its visibility and traffic enforcement efforts.
Troopers cited 4,930 speeders and 1,706 reckless drivers statewide and charged 67 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A total of 498 drivers were ticketed for not using seat belts, the release said.
State police also responded to 733 traffic crashes with 117 resulting in injuries, and helped 1,609 disabled or stranded drivers during Thanksgiving weekend. Funds generated from these citations go directly to court fees and the state’s literary fund, which benefits public school construction, technology funding and teacher retirement, police said.
Police pleaded with drivers to be safe on the road during the holidays.
“As we continue through the holiday season, I am pleading with Virginians of all ages to respect and comply with all traffic safety laws,” Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel Gary T. Settle said in the release. “Virginia State Police and your loved ones want you to arrive at your destination safely.”