ALEA investigates seven traffic fatalities over Thanksgiving holiday
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Special to the News
This year, as national travel forecasts reflected pre-pandemic numbers, troopers within the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division investigated a total of seven traffic-related fatalities as compared to eight in 2020 and 11 during the same busy travel period in 2019 on Alabama’s roadways.
“Each year, prior to the popular holiday travel periods such as Thanksgiving, our agency strives to save lives by strategically and meticulously developing holiday operational plans, along with safety-awareness campaigns and enforcement initiatives to mitigate any loss of life on Alabama’s roadways,” ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said. “Unfortunately, we are not able to report our goal of zero fatalities over the extended holiday weekend; however, I believe the decrease of fatalities over the years is a true testament to the agency’s pledge to save lives and prevent crashes, as well as a direct correlation to the unwavering commitment from Governor Kay Ivey and our state’s legislature. Thanks to their support in recent years, ALEA has been in a position to enhance the number of ALEA troopers, which has had a direct impact on the overall reduction of traffic-related fatalities during holiday travel periods.”
The 2021 official Thanksgiving holiday travel period began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, November 24, and ended at midnight Sunday, November 28.
The fatal crashes occurred in Mobile, Marengo, Chilton, Shelby, Escambia, Dekalb, and Lawrence counties.
Of the seven fatalities, one included an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) from which the driver was ejected after the ATV left the roadway in Chilton County. Two other individuals were in vehicles equipped with seat belts, but they were not using them at the time of the crash.
“As many citizens continue to travel and celebrate this holiday season with family and friends, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will continue its mission of sharing public safety practices and engaging in educational opportunities throughout the state,” Secretary Taylor said. “We truly appreciate the assistance and support we receive from citizens, as well as our local and state partners, who work diligently with us to ensure our roadways are safe for everyone.”