Ohio reports decrease in deadly crashes over Fourth of July weekend

Fatal crashes over the Independence Day holiday dropped for the second straight year, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

From Friday through Monday, 16 people died in 16 crashes. It’s the fewest crash deaths reported over the holiday in four years, according to patrol. The state recorded 17 deaths in 2019, 25 deaths in 2020 and 23 deaths in 2021.

More than a quarter of the 16 crashes took place in the Miami Valley region. Butler, Greene, and Darke counties had one fatal crash each, according to OSHP. Warren County had two, including one on the Clinton County border.

Saturday night, a motorcyclist lost control of the bike while on US 36 east in Darke County and hit a culvert, according to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office. The motorcyclist and his passenger, 23-year-old Mackenzie Smith, of Troy, were reportedly thrown from the motorcycle.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was taken to Miami Valley Hospital by CareFlight, according to the sheriff’s office.

In Butler County, a motorcycle crashed into a car on Grand Avenue Monday evening, according to OSHP. The motorcyclist, Frederic Curry III, 26, died at Atrium Medical Center. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, according to troopers.

Troopers arrested 444 people for impaired driving and 239 for drug-related charges statewide over the weekend, according to OSHP. Impairment was a factor in four of the state’s deadly crashes. Troopers responded to 559 crashes and provided help to 2,588 motorists.

In total, Franklin County led Ohio with 1,397 incidents, according to patrol. Warren County was second with 1,028 incidents and Clark County was fourth with 814.

So far this year, there have been at least 587 deadly crashes in Ohio, according to OSHP. During the same time last year, there were 626. Butler, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Miami and Montgomery counties have reported a decrease in fatal crashes so far this year, but Greene, Preble and Warren counties are reporting an increase.

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