Richmond,VI : Memorial Day weekend crashes claim 7 lives in Virginia on may, Monday 29th 2017

Six vehicle crashes claimed seven lives statewide during the Memorial Day weekend, including four motorcyclists, authorities said.

In 2016, eight people died in wrecks in Virginia over the four-day counting period from Friday to Monday.

“The number of traffic deaths on Virginia’s roadways continues to decrease, down 50 percent since 2015; However, even one fatality is too many, especially when taking basic safety precautions can save a life,” Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty said in a news release.

The fatal crashes occurred in Norfolk and Augusta, Bedford, Carroll, Montgomery and Rockingham counties. At least two people who died weren’t wearing seat belts, according to state police, and two motorcyclists were not wearing helmets.

In total, state police responded to 652 crashes. Troopers also cited 828 safety violations over the weekend and issued 10,468 speeding tickets, and 2,421 people received citations for reckless driving. State police said they removed 110 drunk drivers from the road as well.

The National Safety Council published a report May 9 stating that the number of deaths from vehicle crashes across the country on Memorial Day weekend increases by 9.9 percent when compared with the weekends directly before and after it.


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Memorial Day weekend crashes claim 7 lives in Virginia