Pennsylvania State Police report hectic Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with over 500 DUI arrests and 970 crashes

APB Team Published December 5, 2022 @ 6:00 am PST

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) had a busy Thanksgiving weekend. The agency reported that troopers responded to more than 500 DUI arrests and 970 crashes during the holiday travel period from November 23–27.

PSP’s Thanksgiving holiday crash and enforcement results, released on November 28, also reported 196 injuries and two fatalities, and that alcohol was deemed a factor in 48 of the crashes.

PSP troopers also made 539 DUI arrests and handed out 9,252 speeding citations throughout the five-day travel period, according to the report.

A total of 1,088 citations were also distributed for failure to wear a seat belt, and 138 citations were given for not securing children in safety seats.

In all, 27,000 traffic citations were given over the holiday weekend.

Compared with 2021 PSP data, there were fewer total crashes this year. Last year, there were 1,155 crashes and five fatalities, and PSP made more DUI arrests and handed out fewer speeding citations this year.

Among PSP stations, Troop M Bethlehem was one of the busiest. Covering Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties, M troopers made 27 DUI arrests and responded to 80 crashes within their jurisdiction.

Troopers with safety initiatives Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education Program (PAADEEP) and Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Drivers (STEADD) focused their efforts on aggressive and speeding drivers, or those with seat belt violations.

Drug recognition expert troopers were also active in targeting motorists suspected to be operating while under the influence.

The PSP data only includes incidents investigated by PSP troopers and does not include incidents from other law enforcement agencies.

The West Earl Township Police responded to a tragic incident over the weekend that involved the death of a pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle in Lancaster County. The West Earl Fire Department, Rothsville EMS and Ephrata WellSpan EMS responded to the scene with assistance from the Lancaster County Crash Team. The driver in the incident was unharmed.