WQIO Ohio's Super Station
03/15/24 LICKING COUNTY, OHIO – The Licking County Health Department’s (LCHD) Safe Communities Coalition reported two crash fatalities in the county during February 2024. In February 2023, there was one crash fatality reported. Year-to-date (February 29, 2024), there have been two crash fatalities in Licking County. At this time last year, there were three crash fatalities year-to-date (February 28, 2023). Our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones involved.
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, remember, it can be a dangerous day on America’s roads due to increased alcohol consumption and drunk driving. There were 272 lives lost in drunk-driving crashes over the holiday period (6:00 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18) between 2017 and 2021. Though drunk-driving fatalities are more likely to occur at night, drunk driving puts people’s lives in danger at any time of the day. During that same period, there were 31 daytime drunk-driving fatalities.
No one should mix drinking and driving, and no one is immune to the effects of drunk driving. If you find yourself drunk and stranded with your vehicle, give your keys to a sober driver who can safely drive you home. Remind your friends to never get in the vehicle with a drunk driver. If you have a friend who is about to drive drunk, take away their keys and help them get home safely. Don’t worry about offending someone — you might be saving their life, or someone else’s. Always have a plan before you head out for the evening. If you wait until after you’ve been drinking to figure out how to get from one place to the next, you may already be too impaired to make the right choices.
For more information on traffic safety issues and crash data in Licking County visit the Ohio State Highway Patrol website.
