OVI enforcement patrols hit I-75

Posted On: September 25th, 2014 by Bradley J. Groene

Drivers on Interstate 75 this weekend should be on the lookout for Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers. The OHSP is participating in a multi-state high-visibility enforcement initiative that stretches along I-75 from Michigan to Florida. Officers in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia also will be participating in the enforcement patrols.

The purpose of the initiative is to reduce the number of traffic crash fatalities. Enforcement patrols will be targeting drivers who are speeding, not wearing safety belts, and/or driving under the influence.

According to the state patrol, traffic accidents kill more than 33,000 people each year nationwide. More than half of fatalities involved people who weren’t wearing seat belts; about one-third were involved in crashes related to alcohol or drug impairment; and about one-third were killed in crashes related to speed.

In Ohio, traffic fatalities are down through the end of August, the state patrol reports. There were 594 fatal traffic crashes through August 2014, compared to 624 for the same period in 2013. OVI-related fatalities also were down, with 25 fewer in 2014 than 2013.

The I-75 enforcement campaign starts at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28.

OHSP troopers also will be joining with law enforcement from five other states for statewide high-visibility enforcement efforts focused on marijuana and criminal enforcement through the weekend. This effort includes enforcement patrols in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

According to the state patrol, troopers made 5,664 drug arrests through the first six months of 2014 — 19 percent more than 2013. Troopers seized 3,214 pounds of marijuana, 24 pounds of cocaine, and 10 pounds of heroin.

If you’ve been arrested for OVI or marijuana possession in Ohio or Kentucky, the criminal defense attorneys at Luftman, Heck & Associates’ Cincinnati office can help. Call attorney Brad Groene at (513) 338-1890 for a free consultation today.