OSHP steps up its presence over holiday weekend

COLUMBUS — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging motorists to think twice before getting behind the wheel while intoxicated over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Troopers will be out in full force in an effort to reduce fatalities over the long weekend.

Historically, the Labor Day holiday is one of the deadliest on Ohio’s roadways, according to a highway patrol press release. During last year’s holiday weekend, 18 people were killed in traffic crashes, with seven being alcohol-related.

Since Aug. 21, state troopers and thousands of law enforcement officers in communities throughout Ohio have joined forces for a combined impaired-driving enforcement wave, which is part of the national Over the Limit, Under Arrest program that runs through Labor Day.