MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division investigated seven traffic fatalities; however, its Marine Patrol Division saw a dramatic decrease in the overall boating and non-boating (drowning) fatalities during this year’s official Memorial Day weekend, which was from Saturday, May 29, to Monday, May 31.
In May 2020, during the same extended holiday weekend, Troopers from ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division investigated 10 boat crashes and four drownings. This year, Troopers experienced zero boating and non-boating fatalities, and investigated only two vessel crashes. One crash occurred in Choctaw County with property damage and the other occurred in Cherokee County with minor injuries.
This past weekend’s traffic crashes involved seven individuals, including a 2-year-old and a 5- year-old. The children were involved in a single-vehicle traffic crash Saturday, May 29, in St. Clair County when the vehicle in which they were passengers left the roadway and entered Logan Martin Lake. Highway Patrol Troopers are investigating that particular crash, which also resulted in the deaths of two additional occupants from the vehicle. Weekend traffic fatalities also included one of the drivers in a two-vehicle crash in Shelby County, the driver in a onevehicle crash in Franklin County and a motorcyclist in a two-vehicle crash in Tuscaloosa County.
“Investigating fatal crashes is one of the most difficult parts of a Trooper’s job. Sadly, this year we investigated a single-vehicle crash that claimed the lives of four loved ones at one time,” ALEA’s Secretary Hal Taylor said. “Memorial Day weekend is only the beginning of the busy summer months, and each of us must do our part to make safety a priority on the water and the road. We will continue the agency’s mission of enhancing public safety and saving lives through the utilization of consolidated law enforcement efforts, sharing public safety practices, engaging in educational opportunities and taking the necessary steps to remove impaired drivers from Alabama’s roadways and waterways.”
During the holiday weekend, ALEA Troopers joined their law enforcement partners across the state and the nation in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which included sobriety checks. Between Saturday and Monday, Troopers issued 21 citations for Driving Under the Influence and five citations for Boating Under the Influence. Grants administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) provided funds to cover additional Trooper shifts during this initiative.
