CLEVELAND (WJW) – Local and state law enforcement are beefing up patrols for the long 4th of July holiday weekend.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol announced a zero-tolerance policy for impaired, speeding and aggressive drivers.
A spokesperson said that OSHP will be “highly visible” and “cracking down” on dangerous drivers from both the air and on the ground from Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7 at 11:59 p.m.
“We’ve seen a lot of officers today, the State Patrol actually. It’s a good thing,” said Clarice Edwards who was driving through Ohio from Omaha with her family.
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Independence Day has become a deadly holiday in the state, according to OSHP, with 12 deaths last year and 50 lives lost over the past three years in car crashes. Multiple motorcyclists and pedestrians have also lost their lives.
“People seem to be driving more and more aggressively,” said Capt. Gerry Vogel with the Westlake Police Department.