FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2001
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

HIGHWAYS DURING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announces a preliminary number of 14 people killed on South Carolina highways from Wednesday, November 21, at 6 p.m. until Sunday, November 25, at midnight.

Fourteen people also died on South Carolina’s highways during the Thanksgiving holiday period in 1999, while eleven people died over the same period last year.

Four North Carolinians died in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 52 in Darlington County. Two of those were wearing safety restraints, while two were not. Their vehicle was traveling south on U.S. 52 when it was struck head-on by a utility vehicle that was traveling northbound. The driver of the utility vehicle apparently ran off the shoulder of the road, over corrected and then hit the southbound vehicle.

Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in several of the fatalities. A 39-year-old Mountain Rest woman died when the vehicle she was riding in was struck in the passenger’s side by a pick-up truck. The driver of the pick-up truck was not charged, while the driver of the vehicle in which the woman was riding was charged with felony driving under the influence.

One motorcyclist and one pedestrian died during the holiday period.

During the Thanksgiving holiday period, the South Carolina Highway Patrol made 233 arrests on charges of driving under the influence. Twenty-five of those DUI arrests were made on the interstates.

Troopers also wrote a total of 7,978 citations for speeding above 55 miles per hour, which includes 2,460 citations for speeding above 70 miles per hour.

A total of 2,495 seatbelt citations were issued along with 259 child restraint citations. The Patrol investigated 1,138 collisions, with 176 of those occurring on the state’s interstates.

So far, 917 people have been killed on South Carolina highways this year, compared to 973 at this time last year.

Editor’s note: These numbers are preliminary and are based on fatal collisions reported to the South Carolina Highway Patrol as of November 25, 2001. For more information on any of the fatalities, please contact us.

-- 30 --

SG/145/01

-Back-