News Summary

Ohio drivers were faring better than last year over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

"Everybody seems to be doing pretty good. It's been a very pleasant surprise," Sgt. Joseph Gebhart said based on statewide tallies through midnight Monday afternoon at area posts of the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Statewide, four people had died in crashes by midnight Monday. In the entire 2007 weekend, 12 people died, according to state statistics at www.state patrol.ohio.gov.

Across Ohio, state troopers were working overtime as part of Operation CARE, a federally-funded initiative to curb holiday drunk driving.

On Monday, the Xenia post was seeing a similar trend, with only four stops for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVI), Gebhart said.

"Usually we're in double figures," Gebhart said, adding there were no fatalities or alcohol-related crashes reported by troopers at the Xenia post by Monday afternoon.

On Monday afternoon, the Bellefontaine post reported four OVI arrests, no crashes or fatalities; Piqua seven stops, with no crashes or fatalities; Springfield 20 arrests and 19 crashes, none fatal; Wapakoneta, eight arrests and six crashes, none fatal.

As of midnight Monday, the Lebanon post reported 14 OVI arrests, one crash and no fatalities. Dayton post representatives said they were unable to provide statistics.

Last year statewide 694 drivers were cited for drunk driving over the Memorial Day weekend, compared with only 530 as of midnight Monday, according to state statistics.

"Overall it's been pretty uneventful. Hopefully it'll stay that way," Gebhart said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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