Clayton News Daily

By Jason A. Smith

jsmith@henryherald.com

Traffic crashes during the Christmas holiday travel period claimed the lives of 24 people in Georgia.

This and other statistics were released Monday by the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), regarding the 102-hour time frame between 6 p.m., Christmas Eve and midnight Sunday.

According to a written statement issued by the GSP, 3,325 crashes and 868 related injuries occurred in the state during the holiday weekend.

Estimates for the weekend had been for 19 deaths, 2,945 crashes and 1,494 injuries.

Gordy Wright is a spokesman for the state agency. He said the weather and the number of vehicles on state roads, each played a part in the GSP's Christmas totals.

"Traffic was heavy throughout the holiday period," he said. "The drizzle we had all weekend contributed to the adverse circumstances. We won't know for a while whether alcohol was a factor in these crashes. Those figures will go to the Georgia Department of Transportation, once lab results come back to the various agencies in the state."

The GSP is planning to maintain a heavy presence on roads in Georgia for the New Year's travel period, beginning tonight at 6 p.m.

Troopers will conduct regular holiday patrols throughout the long weekend, with particular emphasis on tonight and Sunday.