Kentucky Sees Spike In Highway Deaths Over Memorial Day Weekend

Preliminary statistics from Kentucky State Police indicate this was a very deadly holiday weekend on the Commonwealth’s roadways.  14 people lost their lives Friday through Memorial Day.

KSP spokesman Lieutenant David Jude says that’s a significant spike considering last Memorial Day weekend only two people lost their lives.

“Seven of those involved alcohol, we had seven with no seat belts, and six fatalities which were motorcycles and four of those weren’t wearing their helmets.”

Lieutenant Jude says highway deaths are up overall in the commonwealth in 2012.  285 people have died on Kentucky’s roadways so far this year.  That’s about 39 more than at this same time last year.

“I wish I had one factor, one thing that I could tell you is causing this because then we could focus on it.  But every week we are starting to see that same trend where all across the state, in a variety of communities, in a variety of collisions, we are seeing fatalities.”

Jude says alcohol impairment, failure to wear seatbelts, excessive speeding, and distracted driving are all major contributing factors.