12 killed in Ohio crashes over Labor Day weekend
Twelve people were killed in a dozen separate traffic crashes on Ohio's roadways during the Labor Day holiday weekend, including one fatal incident in Columbus, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Among the 12 fatal crashes that occurred between Friday and Monday, five involved motorcyclists, two of whom were confirmed to be wearing helmets.
In the remaining seven crashes involving cars, four of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt while three were, according to the agency's provisional data.
Last year, 15 people were killed during the four-day Labor Day weekend.
Among those killed this past weekend was 49-year-old man who crashed his motorcycle Friday night on the city's West Side.
According to a Columbus Division of Police crash report, David E. Shull was driving his Harley Davidson with a passenger, 46-year-old Melissa Kees, eastbound on Sullivant Avenue near Athens Street around 10:30 p.m. when he entered a construction area with uneven road surfaces and lost control. Shull and Kees were thrown from the motorcycle in the crash.
Both were transported to Ohiohealth Grant Medical Center, where
Shull died. Kees was seriously injured.
The report did not indicate that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the fatal crash.
However, troopers reported that alcohol was a factor in four of the other 11 crashes.
Between Friday and Monday, troopers also arrested 420 drivers suspected of operating a vehicle impaired and issued 2,465 safety belt citations, according to the provisional data.
A total of 18,195 traffic enforcement stops were conducted along with 9,729 non-enforcement stops. Troopers made 292 drug arrests and 128 felony apprehensions.
In addition, troopers provided assistance to 1,861 motorists.