Six people were killed in traffic crashes across Georgia during the first three days of the Independence Day holiday weekend as state troopers arrested hundreds of impaired drivers and issued hundreds of traffic citations.
As of 6 a.m. Sunday, July 5, the Georgia Department of Public Safety reported six traffic fatalities during the holiday reporting period. The first fatal crash occurred Friday morning in Appling County, where a 6-year-old child died in a crash north of Baxley.
By Saturday evening, two more fatal crashes had been reported: a single-vehicle crash in Walker County and a motorcycle crash in Cobb County. Overnight into Sunday, three additional fatal crashes were reported in Polk County, Dade County and Richmond County.
Increased patrols
State troopers also stepped up holiday enforcement as travel increased across Georgia. By Sunday morning, troopers had made 324 DUI arrests, issued 470 distracted driving citations and written 638 seat belt citations…