It was a deadly four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend across Louisiana. Trooper Michael Reichardt tells us 16 people died in ten fatal crashes investigated by state police across the state. He says there’s been an upward trend this year in this kind of carnage on the highways. “You know we’ve seen an uptick in fatal crashes this year throughout the state…most of those have been people who are impaired or unrestrained,” according to Reichardt.
The figure released by State Police does not include accidents investigated by local law enforcement agencies
Last year, Reichardt says the death toll was significantly lower with eight people dying in seven crashes investigated by state police.
Trooper Reichardt there are two sure-fire ways to decrease the chance of being involved in crashes, be they fatal or not. “He says, “the biggest thing is not to drink and drive, of course, and always wear your seatbelt and not to be distracted. We work a lot of fatal crashes because of distractions inside your car.”
Trooper Reichardt says the doubling of the death toll on the state’s highways during the Thanksgiving weekend was no doubt due in part to more people traveling this year than last because of COVID keeping people at home during the 2020 Thanksgiving period. “You know, I think that has a lot to do with it. The mask mandate, the COVID restrictions and all that have been on a downward spiral,” says Reichardt.
With the holiday season upon us, Reichardt says you can expect to see the highways more crowded from now until the end of the year, with his biggest piece of advice to buckle up while traveling.
Louisiana State Police urge motorists to dial *LSP (*577) if they observe others driving in an unsafe manner. The agency says it will be on heightened patrol throughout the holiday season with the task of preventing crashes seen as a joint responsibility with the public.
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