Eight lives were lost on Virginia highways over the Memorial Day Weekend, according to Virginia State Police.
Authorities say it’s a dramatic decrease when compared to fatalities reported during the 2021 Memorial Day weekend. Last year, Virginia saw 15 deaths during the holiday weekend, according to police.
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“Virginians took to the roads in numbers we haven’t seen since 2019 and with that came the need for patience and focus on the road,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “And I am pleased to see the number of traffic crash fatalities drop by almost half from 2021, but remember, clicking your seatbelt is your first line of defense against someone else’s bad decision on the road. Virginia State Police urge all Virginia drivers to step up and make safe decisions.”
This year’s fatal crashes happened in the cities of Richmond and Harrisonburg and the counties of Giles, Isle of Wight, Mathews and Stafford.
Of the eight crashes, five involved individuals who were not wearing a seat belt and one involved an individual riding a motorcycle.
This year, the Memorial Day Operation C.A.R.E. initiative and the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign coincided.
Virginia Troopers cited 4,894 speeders and 1,880 reckless drivers and arrested 90 impaired drivers.
In addition, 660 individuals were cited for seat belt violations, 118 were cited for child safety restraint violations and 144 felony arrests were made. Virginia State Police also assisted 1,735 disabled motorists.
