07/10/17 -5:33 A.M.

Fatal crashes over the five-day Fourth of July holiday period were up from last year, according to the State Highway Patrol. The Courier reports that across the state there were 17 fatal accidents compared to 13 last year and 10 in 2015. One of this year’s crashes took place on the border of Allen and Hardin Counties. There were none in Hancock County.

District 1 of the Ohio State Highway Patrol had 114 stops for driving under the influence during the period. This district includes the Wood, Hardin, Allen, Putnam, and Hancock Counties among others. Statewide there were908 arrests for operating a vehicle under the influence. There were over 800 crashes across the state.

District 1 had the second highest number of traffic violations in the state with over 5,000. They were behind District 3 which includes the Cleveland area, which had over 5,100 citations.