The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has reported a devastating toll of 68 fatalities resulting from crashes that occurred over the extended Fourth of July weekend, Your Content has learned.
Shockingly, almost half of the victims did not have seatbelts on at the time of the accidents.
In addition to the tragic loss of lives, CHP officers were busy enforcing traffic regulations and issued more than 9,700 speeding tickets during the holiday enforcement period, which spanned from Friday night to Tuesday night.
Furthermore, they made a staggering 1,224 arrests for driving under the influence, averaging approximately one arrest every 5 minutes.
Expressing his grief and concern, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee emphasized the preventable nature of these deaths and the profound impact they have on the families left behind.
He stressed that ensuring traffic safety is a collective responsibility and highlighted the need for ongoing efforts to address the persisting challenges reflected in these statistics, according to ABC.