KOHS: Highway fatalities increases in 2020; over 50% were not wearing seatbelts
KOHS: Highway fatalities increases in 2020; over 50% were not wearing seatbelts By Ashley Smith | February 25, 2021 at 3:33 PM CST - Updated February 25 at 4:59 PM
FRANKFORT, Ky. (KFVS) - According to the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS), highway fatalities increased in 2020, by five percent.
In 2020, there was a total of 778 fatalities, which is 46 more than the 732 fatalities recorded in 2019.
“2020 was a year of devastating loss for Kentuckians, but what makes deaths even harder to accept is when they could have been prevented,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “These figures are unacceptable to us and they should be unacceptable to every driver – every person in our state. We all have to be more vigilant about personal safety and responsibility behind the wheel if we are going to reverse this trend.”
Two local law enforcement officers were recently recognized for their work to keep the streets and roads of Mayfield and Graves County safer.
Mayfield Police Officer Cody Rogers and Graves County Sheriffâs Deputy Chandler Sirls were honored by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety with the Governorâs Impaired Driving Enforcement Award for their work getting drivers who are under the influence off local roadways.
The award is presented to one law enforcement officer in each agency or district in Kentucky each year. Both Sirls and Rogers had the most driving under the influence arrests for the Graves County Sheriffâs Office between Oct. 1, 2019 and Sept. 30, 2020, with 10 DUI arrests each during that time period, according to information from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Williamsburg Police Officer Dorman Patrick Jr. (left) recently received the 2020 Governor’s Award for Impaired Driving Enforcement for making the most DUI arrests of any officer in his department.
Officers from two Whitley County law enforcement agencies have been recognized by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) for their efforts to target impaired drivers.
For the second consecutive year, Williamsburg Police Officer Dorman Patrick Jr. has led his department in impaired driving arrests.
Patrick recently received the 2020 Governor’s Award for Impaired Driving Enforcement.
“Officer Patrick led the department in apprehending 56 impaired drivers from the streets and roads of Williamsburg and Whitley,” the Williamsburg Police Department wrote in a release.
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