Montgomery – During the Labor Day 2015 holiday travel period, which began at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, and ran through midnight Monday, Sept. 7, Alabama State Troopers investigated seven fatal traffic crashes that resulted in nine deaths.
“One fatal crash is one too many,” Secretary of Law Enforcement Spencer Collier said. “We must do our part to make our roadways and waterways safer during holiday travel periods and the rest of the year.”
The crashes during this 96-hour travel period occurred in Bibb, Cullman, Mobile, Montgomery, Perry and Shelby counties. Individuals killed consisted of four drivers, four passengers and one pedestrian. Based on preliminary investigation, seat belts were available to eight of the individuals, but only three were using seat belts. The other individual killed was a pedestrian.
During the four-day period, Sunday, Sept. 6, was the only day with zero fatalities. In 2014, the Labor Day holiday travel period also was 96 hours, and Troopers investigated five fatal crashes that resulted in five deaths. Seat belts were available to three of the individuals, and only one was using a seat belt.
Troopers assigned to Marine Patrol investigated one non-boating fatality. A swimmer drowned the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 5, on Lewis Smith Lake in Winston County. During the same period in 2014, Marine Patrol did not investigate any fatalities.
Nothing further is available on the weekend’s deadly incidents on Alabama roadways and waterways as Troopers assigned to Highway Patrol and Marine Patrol continue to investigate.
Still, Secretary Collier said, “Troopers are spending the majority of their time reacting, as opposed to proactively patrolling, resulting in more crashes. During the Regular and First Special Legislative Sessions of 2015, Legislators proposed cuts to state law enforcement that would devastate our already critically low staffing levels. Our agency simply cannot take another cut. We ask Alabama citizens to contact their Legislators to voice their opposition to further cuts that could result in the loss of more Alabama State Troopers.”
Fatality
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