Seven people died during the 2013 New Year holiday period, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) said today.
Ninety-six people were arrested for driving under the influence in counties that participated in "no refusal" checkpoints — eight of those arrests were made in Knox County. Their press release didn't mention how many arrests were made by the THP in counties that did not participate.
According to the release, the holiday period began on Dec. 28, 2012 and ended on Jan. 1, 2013. It did not mention whether any of the reported fatalities involved alcohol, but said that two of the victims were passengers who weren't wearing seat belts and two more were pedestrians.
The highway patrol said that two people refused to take a breathalyzer test which resulted in warrants for a blood sample under the "no refusal" law. That happened in Hamilton and Crockett counties. The "no refusal" law allows law enforcement officers to seek search warrants for blood samples in cases involving suspected impaired drivers.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office reported no deaths during their enforcement period. They made 15 DUI arrests and said that they had one wreck, with injury, that involved alcohol. According to WBIR, the Knoxville Police Department made 17 DUI arrests as well.
Comments