COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio saw its fewest number of Christmas holiday traffic fatalities in five years in 2023, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Statistics shared by the agency indicate nine people died across a total of eight fatal crashes between Dec. 22 and 25, a low mark for deaths since 2018. Of those killed, five were not wearing seat belts, while two of the wrecks involved at least one driver operating a vehicle while impaired.
Overall, the OSHP reported 444 total crashes during the four-day period, a significant decline of 64% from the time between Dec. 23 and 26 in 2022. However, OVI arrests also more than tripled to 213 this year.
Of the fatal incidents, one occurred in Northeast Ohio early on Christmas Eve morning, when a 31-year-old woman died after the car she was riding in lost control and flipped over in Akron. Two other occupants in the vehicle were injured, and police say none of them were wearing seat belts at the time.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol encourages residents to dial 677 to report dangerous activity on the roads.