Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G experienced an active Christmas holiday enforcement period.
Troop G, which patrols several north Mississippi counties, including Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha, issued 497 citations for the travel period, which started at 6 p.m. Friday and ended at midnight Monday.
In that period, troopers responded to 17 wrecks, with seven reported wreck-related injuries. One of the wrecks was reported as an alcohol-related incident. No fatalities came from any collision in Troop G.
The troop issued 300 hazard citations, which Master Sgt. Criss Turnipseed said are for moving violations such as speeding or reckless driving. The troop issued an additional 156 non-hazard citation, for violations such as no tail lights or driving without insurance.
Officers also cited five drivers for DUI and made three drug arrests.
Troopers will be out in force again for the New Year’s holiday enforcement period, which Turnipseed said begins at 6 p.m. Saturday and will end at midnight Jan. 2.
Turnipseed said it’s OK to have fun for the holiday but encouraged travelers to be safe and make responsible decisions.
“New Year’s is a time to start your year off right or end it wrong,” he said. “You can start it off right and have a good year, or you can have a bad end of the year or get hurt, locked up or killed.
Across the state, troopers issued 4,661 citations, with 73 DUI arrests. MHP investigated 141 wrecks across the state, which is down from the 250 wrecks the agency investigated for the 2015 Christmas enforcement period.
Two wrecks — one in Lee and one in DeSoto County — resulted in three fatalities.
“The best a statistic will ever look is when it’s on paper,” Turnipseed said. “You might look and say we only had three fatalities this (Christmas) period, but if you’re one of those three or their families, it’s the worst thing that could have happened.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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