5 people die in crashes over Thanksgiving weekend

Nov. 29, 2009 | KPCC Wire Services

Five people in Los Angeles County have have died in traffic crashes in the first 84 hours of the holiday weekend, the California Highway Patrol said. But no fatalities have been reported in Orange County.

Of the more than 1,300 drivers California Highway Patrol officers arrested for suspicion of drunken driving across the satte, 225 were in L.A. County, according to a CHP statement.

In Los Angeles County, five people have died so far, down from six at this time last year, according to the statement. Statewide, 30 people died in crashes, up from 24 during the same period last year, according to the CHP tally.

Drunken driving arrests were also down this year. Last year, 1,397 persons were arrested across the state by CHP officers during the first 84 hours of Thanksgiving weekend, compared to 1,314 this year. Countywide, 225 arrests were made, down from 229 in 2008, the CHP said.

The zero toll in Orange County matches last year's rate, the CHP said. Drunk driving arrests are up in the county this year, however, from 53 last year to 67 this year.

Those arrest totals are for the CHP only, and do not include intoxicated motorists arrested by other police agencies.

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